


Maybe One Day

by BelleMorte180



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-10-16 14:44:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 40,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17551664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleMorte180/pseuds/BelleMorte180
Summary: Deciding that she was done with Mystic Falls and all the supernatural drama that comes with it, Caroline leaves town. She leaves the friends who never really put her first. She leaves her cheating boyfriend and leaves behind everything she thought she knew about herself. Yet, over time she begins to grow closer to a certain hybrid, who despite putting thousands of miles between them, she just could not get out from under her skin.Set during season 4.





	1. Mystic Falls

**Author's Note:**

> I originally thought this was going to be a one shot but once I realized that it was reaching 30 pages and I was no where near done, it needed to be more than one chapter. This chapter is not that long but they get longer come chapter two.  
> Also, it is set during season 4 of TVD (pretty early on) however I am cherry picking what happens in season 4. Some things do not happen *cough*magicbaby*cough* and anything after season 4...ignore it. Does not happen for the sake of this story minus a few TO storylines.

**Mystic Falls, Virginia**

_How could he?_

Those were the first words that went through her mind when she saw them. Caroline had made her way towards the Lockwood manor with one sole purpose; to see Tyler. He had just returned home from wherever it was that he had gone and she had wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before he found another reason to run again. Granted, she knew that he had to break the sire bond from Klaus but he never stayed with her. After the first time with Jules, Tyler never stayed even when Caroline begged him too. There was always something more important to do and Caroline accepted that.

That should have been the first warning sign.

After running into Matt and learning that Tyler had returned home, she did something she never thought she would do; she skipped cheerleading practice. She pulled into the drive and saw a car that she didn't recognize. It was an old Honda and clearly something that Carol Lockwood never would have let sit in her drive knowingly. _What it if leaked oil? The horror._

Caroline didn't realize that it was the second warning sign.

The third was far more brutal. She heard it the moment she stepped through the door. Her boots hit the wood floor of the entryway and Caroline's heart shattered. In a second she flashed to stand outside Tyler's room threw the door open. There she saw the boy she thought she loved, thought loved her, pinned to the bed, _the same bed they first had sex in_ , being ridden by another girl. The moans echoed the million glass shards that was piercing through her heart just dug in deeper. The stake to the heart would have been pleasant in comparison.

She learned three very important things in that moment. The first was that the girl, _who was a werewolf_ , was named Haley. The second, Tyler met her during his time in the Appellation Mountains and that she helped him break the sire bond. The final lesson was that once again Caroline came in last place, as she always did. She did when her father left and her mother dedicated her life in this town and her job just to bury her broken heart. Caroline was last when she had to ignore the pain of seeing Damon's face everyday after he raped her or when she transitioned alone. This was just another example.

Caroline couldn't stand there and listen to him beg. She couldn't fathom what excuse Tyler had used. He said he _needed_ this Haley girl. _Funny, Caroline thought he needed her._ Fine, he could have this Haley but that did not mean that Caroline was going to listen and believe anything he had to say. She was done with him and she blatantly told him so. Well, her exact words were for him to screw himself but she believed that he got the picture. She left the manor as quickly as she could and found herself in her bed, crying for hours until her throat was raw.

That was how Liz found her daughter; curled up on her bed, completely broken hearted. Liz, never saw Caroline in such a state before. Even when Bill tortured her, she bounced back with little to no tears. When Bill died, she cried but never to the point that she could hardly breath. Caroline was strong and nothing broke her. Liz reached down for her daughter and pulled her to her chest. She whispered sweet words to her, hoping that it would ease the pain. The tears eventually stopped but only when Caroline fell into a fitful sleep.

Once she was sure that Caroline would not wake, Liz did something she never did; she called off work and stayed home, waiting for Caroline to wake up. She turned her daughter's alarm off, deciding that she could take the day as well. When Caroline did wake and made her way downstairs, the young vampire was shocked to see her mother there and not at work. Liz just pulled a mug out of the cabinet and filled it with coffee and placed it on the counter.

“Have a seat Caroline.” Caroline did as she was told as Liz pulled a blood bag from the fridge and handed it to her. Caroline added the blood to her coffee, as she had been doing for months, and drank. “Do you want to tell me what last night was about?” Caroline said nothing but just looked down. “I came home to find you in tears and completely broken. I was terrified. What happened?” A million different thoughts went through Liz's mind and with a town like Mystic Falls, it could only be supernatural.

“Tyler is back in town and I went to see him yesterday. I found him in bed with another girl.” The last part was whispered and Liz just sunk down into the stool beside her daughter. If anyone knew what it felt like to be cheated on, it was Liz Forbes. Granted, Liz had known about Bill's affair long before she confronted him about it. She lived with it and let it eat at her. Focusing on her work to just make the days go by faster. She didn't want that for Caroline.

“What did you do?”

“Yell. Screamed. Cried and ran away.” A few tears began to fall down her cheeks. Liz took her hand. “Does that make me weak?” Liz told her no, that if anything, it made her strong because she walked away; even though it hurt like hell. “Why me? Why am I always the one who gets left out in the cold? I live in a town that revolves around the supernatural and I'm always the one who is everyones last choice. I thought Tyler was different.”

“It will take some time but the pain will not hurt as much.” Liz took another sip of her coffee. “I think you just need to take the time to grieve and mourn. You never took the time to do it. After everything that has happened, being turned, tortured, your dad and nearly dying,” _And Damon_. Caroline thought but didn't say it out loud. Her mother knew nothing of that affair, outside that they dated briefly, but nothing of the abuse she suffered; or the fact that he raped her. “You just put it behind the walls you built up. I think that you need to take some time for yourself. And I think you need to do it outside of Mystic Falls.”

“What!?” Caroline was shocked. She always dreamed of one day leaving Mystic Falls but she never once thought it would be so soon. “I can't just leave! It's my senior year! I won't graduate if I just leave! The Miss Mystic Falls pageant is weeks away and I won last year so that means I host and plan it! And what of Elena! She was just turned. Not to mention Christmas is right around the corner!”

“Caroline, you're a vampire. If you want to graduate high school you have an eternity to do so. Miss Mystic Falls will be fine without you, Carol Lockwood can deal and blame it on Tyler.” That made Caroline chuckle. “And Elena has two brothers in love with her to help her.” Liz stood and pulled out Caroline's passport from the stand by the door, a place Caroline knew she didn't keep it normally. The fact that Liz had moved it from the box in the upstairs closet meant that she had thought long and hard about this decision. They had gotten the passport last summer, before her world revolved around vampires and werewolves, because her father promised to take her to Paris. He never did. “I spent all night thinking about it. Travel Caroline. See the world like you always wanted to do and let yourself heal. For me. Please.”

“What about you?”

“As long as you call. I'll be fine.” Caroline picked up the passport, thinking about her options. The rational part of her brain told her that this was not apart of the plan but it was the darker part of her brain that was screaming at her. Everything in her told her to take the chance; to disappear and see the world. It screamed at her to for once do something for herself. Just like it had the night of the dance and Klaus offered to show her the world.

_Shit._ Klaus.

Caroline couldn't just leave town without letting him know. He would burn the place to the ground looking for her. She wanted to be flattered by the fact that there was one person who would do such things for her, but she couldn't. Klaus was the bad guy and she was the good guy? _Right?_ At this point, Caroline didn't know anymore. To figure it out, Caroline took her mother's advice and packed. She packed all of her clothes and a few personal items. Liz ran to the bank in order to perform a wire transfer to put Caroline's entire college fund into her account; once again reminding her daughter that she had the rest of eternity to go to college. While Liz was gone, Caroline debated on calling Elena but she knew the new vampire would try and talk her into staying; and she would succeed. Instead, she called Bonnie. Unsurprisingly, it went straight to voicemail since she was at school. Caroline noticed that not a single text message had been sent as to why she not only missed practice and why she wasn't at school. Whatever the reason, Caroline just couldn't bring herself to care.

“Hey Bonnie, it is me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving town for awhile. If you have questions, talk to my mom. She knows whats going on. I just need some time to figure everything out.” With that Caroline put her bags in her car and hugged her mother one last time when she returned from the bank. Liz waved at her and Caroline watched her in the rearview mirror until she faded away; silent tears running down her cheeks.

*

She drove to the Mikaelson Manor quickly, speeding the entire way. She wanted to do this as fast as possible and painlessly. She got out of her car, flashed to the door to find it already open and Klaus waiting for her. His smirk was infuriating and curious. His dimples were pronounced and his eyes flashing with enjoyment, like every time he laid eyes on her.

“I was both pleased and alarmed to hear your car speeding down my drive. At first I thought something awful had happened but you seem well enough. Tell me, what has Damon sent you to distract me from this time.” His tone was as charming as ever but Caroline could hear a bite behind it. She just smiled at him and made her way inside. The last time she was in these halls was the night of the ball and while she would never admit it out loud, she cherished that night.

“Damon didn't send me. I'm here on my own free will. I came to let you know that you're right.”

“Of course I am.”

“You do not even know what I'm referring too!”

“I don't need to.”

“Ugh!”

“But what am I right about this time?”

“Me. You're right about me.” It came out before she could stop herself. Klaus froze but said nothing. “I mean- what I want to say is that you're right about the small town like not being enough for me.” Caroline looked down at her hands. “Tyler has been cheating on me with some werewolf slut named Haley. Last night I spent the entire time crying until I couldn't anymore. I allowed myself to dread the idea of having to face him. To face all of them. To once again sacrifice my entire life for them.” She gave a bitter laugh. “And then my mom told me to leave. Not in a _kicking me out_ way but she told me to see the world. To grieve and to heal. So that is what I'm doing. I just didn't want you to go on a murder spree when you realized I was no longer in town.”

“Wise choice.” He chuckled. He didn't seem angry like Caroline thought he would be. “And I'm starting to realize you get that wisdom from your mother. She is right. You need to leave this town. You've grown as far as you can here and now it is holding you back.” Klaus stepped forward and did something he has never done before; he kissed her forehead, and Caroline let him. “I'll show it to you if you like. I will leave with you and show you the the most beautiful parts of the world.”

“The offer is tempting but I think I need to do this on my own.” And she was tempted. His promise of Paris, Rome and Tokyo echoed through her thoughts more often than she wanted to admit. The night of the decades dance a part of her wished to take his hand and run away with him. Now, after watching Tyler betray her in the way he had, she wished she had. “Maybe one day.”

“I thought that would be your answer.” He chuckled. “Before you leave, I want to give you something.” Klaus vanished and reappeared before Caroline could ask him what it was he wanted to give her. He appeared with eight empty vials. He bit into his wrist and filled the vials with blood. “Incase you find yourself in trouble and I can't get to you fast enough.” Caroline took the vials from him, looking at him as though she was seeing him for the first time. _Why does he cloud my judgement like this? Why does he make me question everything I thought I knew? Make me question what is right and wrong?_ She should have turned right there and then, running from him, but instead she did something else. She stepped forward until there was no space between them. She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you.” She made it to her car before he called out her name.

“Caroline!” She turned and he was smiling gently at her. “Can I make a suggestion for your fist destination?”

 


	2. Edinburgh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out to be longer than I expected but I am taking that as a good thing. 
> 
> Again, remember that I am cherry picking season 4 here. I also may have rearranged when things happen and so on and so forth.

**Edinburgh, Scotland**

Forty eight hours and two lay overs later, Caroline drove her compelled car through rolling hills of Scotland-on the wrong side of the road. Only hours out of Mystic Falls and life is already throwing learning curves at her. At first she had thought she would board the first flight to France, avoid Paris, but enjoy the country she dreamed of for so long but when Klaus mentioned he owned a home in Scotland and that she was more than welcome to use for as long as she liked; Caroline couldn't help but accept.

The part of her that was still Tyler's girlfriend, Elena's friend and someone who saw the world in black and white wanted her to say no; but the person she was itching to become said yes. She no longer was going to hold herself back and be what everyone else wanted her to be. So, she bought a ticket to Scotland, compelled a car and followed the GPS to the address Klaus had given her. Seeing more sheep than she ever expected to in the process.

What she wasn't expecting was the address she had been given to be a giant estate. She should have known, because it was Klaus and this was Scotland-a country filled with medieval castles. While the estate that stood before her wasn't exactly medieval (lacking the grey stone and moat filed with man-eating alligators), it certainly was old but well maintained. It was huge, made from sandy stone and several towers that she could see. Caroline was gobsmacked. Never before had she seen something so beautiful. Taking the address from Klaus seemed reckless and unwise but looking at the manor that stood before her, Caroline had never been happier with her decision. She felt like Elizabeth Bennett looking at Pemberley for the first time.

She could only pray that Klaus wouldn't turn into her Mr. Darcy.

_Or maybe I do?_ Caroline thought to herself.

Caroline didn't have much time to ponder anymore on Klaus or anything else because an older gentleman exited the front door and made his way towards her. He couldn't be older than fifty, or maybe sixty. Even as a human, telling someone's age was something Caroline was horrible with. Either-way, the man was tall, slim and had grey hair. He was dressed in a formal suit and wore white gloves. Never mind _Pride and Prejudice_ , Caroline felt as though she stepped into an episode of _Downton Abbey_.

“Welcome Ms. Forbes, I am Charles Reid. I have been expecting you.” He had a thick Scottish accent and kind eyes. The man was human, that much Caroline could tell and wore a gentle smile. “Mr. Mikaelson informed me of your arrival and that you are to have free reign of the manor during your stay. May I help you with your bags?” Caroline nodded and Reid bent down to pick up her two suitcases before whisking them inside.

Caroline was taking in the windows and the flowers that were planted in the front that she did not notice that she couldn't enter the manor. She tried again, noticing that there was an invisible barrier preventing her from stepping over the threshold. Reid turned around to see why she wasn't following and it only took a second before he tossed her a kind smile.

“Ah, yes. Forgive me. Ms. Forbes, please do come in.” _So, he knows I'm a vampire._ Caroline thought as she placed one foot into the manor. Once again the butler gave her a small smile and sat the suitcases on the ground; allowing Caroline a moment to take in the manor's entryway. The floor was made of hardwood, causing her small boots to click as she walked, and the walls were decorated with soft cream wallpaper and old pictures. There was a stairway that was beyond grand, leading to the second floor.

“If this home belongs to Klaus, why did I have to be invited in?” Caroline asked as her fingertips traced the impeccably clean banister.

“Because this is my lawful residence and has been since I was a boy. I may not own it, but it is my home.” Reid replied and Caroline could hear the love for the old building in his tone. “As it was my father's and my grandfather's before me.” And loyalty, she could hear the loyalty echo in the man's speech. This man was loyal to Klaus and his family had been in the original vampire's services for generations.

_If Klaus sent you here, he must at the very least finds this man not completely untrustworthy. Or he pays him well._

Caroling didn't say anything else but instead followed Reid up the stairs and took in the long hallways as she went. She was going to need a map in order to find her way around this place. It was bigger than the Lockwood Manor, grimacing as she thought about that place, and even the Mikaelson Manor. Reid opened up a wooden door and sat her bags inside.

“Mr. Mikaelson requested that you take the master's suit.” Caroline didn't want to think of the implications there but instead focused on the room itself. It was huge. There was a king sized fourposter bed pressed against the far wall. There was a wooden dresser and she could see photos lining the top. Art work, that Caroline assumed was Klaus's work, hung on the walls. “Mr. Mikaelson also asked that his clothes be removed from the closet and dressers in order to make room for yours. Through the door on your left is the master bath. It has been freshly cleaned and ready for your usage. If there is anything that you need please, do not hesitate to ask.” He turned to leave but Caroline called out to him.

“Wait!” Reid paused and turned to look at her. “Klaus had clothes here? When was the last time he was here?”

“He bought the manor in the nineteen thirties. He lived here until about a year ago.” Caroline blanched. She had assumed that Klaus had never stayed in one place for long periods of time. “He would leave for a time or two, a year here or a year there but he always returned eventually. I think he wanted this to be a home for his family. Ah, well, I have said to much. If you need anything Ms. Forbes, please ring for me.” Reid motioned to the lever that hung on the wall that reminded Caroline once again of Downton Abbey. “The cook will have dinner done in the hour. Would you like to eat in the dining room or-”

“Here is fine. I'm rather tired. And is there a blood bag I could have or-”

“Mr. Mikaelson requested that we fully stock the kitchens with blood-bags. Do not worry yourself about it.” Reid nodded with a kind smile and made his way from the room.

Caroline looked around the room and could see Klaus written in every surface. The paintings that hung on the walls were sad but beautiful. The pictures were taken from different periods over the last few decades. She recognized a few people, like Stefan in an old black and white photo from the twenties or the one of Elijah that could have only been taken when photography was a brand new invention, but the majority were foreign to her. It was as though she was seeing a very long life played out in pictures.

After a moment, Caroline turned from the pictures and unpacked her suitcases; hanging the dresses in the closet and folding clothes to put in the dresser, letting a change of clothing sit on the bed. She made a mental note that she was going to have to go shopping at some point for warmer clothing. She could already tell that Scotland was much colder than Virginia. She pulled her phone, which had died, and the charger, plugging them into the wall to charge before heading into the bathroom; smiling wide as she sat the clawfoot tub at the side of the room.

“Oh, I'm going to love this.” The bathroom was stocked with all the products she could have imagined. She found a honey and vanilla bubble bath that she was just dying to try. She drew her bath and let herself soak; thinking on everything she had left behind. She thought she would be homesick but Caroline found that besides her mother, there was not much she missed about Mystic Falls at that moment. She wondered if it was the sharp pain that was still in her heart from Tyler or the fact that was realizing that she had indeed outgrown that small town. Her thoughts made her wish that she had asked for a glass of wine but decided that she would do that tomorrow night...and the next night...and the next night...

Once her muscles were relaxed and the bubbles faded, Caroline pulled herself from the bath. She dried herself, dressed and plopped onto the massive bed in the bedroom. She grabbed her phone that had charged slightly and looked at the thirty eight text messages, forty-five missed calls and fifteen voice mails.

_Caroline, where are you? I looked all over town and no one has seen or heard from you!_ Delete.

_What do you mean you're leaving! Are you okay? What is going on!_ Delete.

_Care, please talk to me-_ Delete.

_I spoke with your mom. She told me about Tyler. I'm so sorry. If it makes you feel better, I gave him a witchy headache....and punched him for you. Take all the time you need. Call me when you can._ Message saved.

_Caroline, I'm sor-_ Delete.

_Your mom said you left! Caroline. I'm sorry about Tyler, what he did was awful but you can't just leave town! Come back, Care. We need you._ Delete.

_Blondie-_ Delete.

_Hey Care, take your time. Do not worry about us. Damon and I will worry about Elena. Take care of yourself._ Caroline hesitated but ended up deleting the message.

_Hey honey. Call me when you get to wherever it is you are. I love you._ Message saved.

_Reid said you arrived safe. Enjoy Scotland sweetheart._ Message saved.

The rest were similar but she didn't bother listening or reading the rest. Instead she went through her contacts deciding who she should call first. She decided that the easiest call would be to her mother and therefore she decided to start there. She dialed and waited as it rang, mentally wondering what time it was in Virginia.

“Caroline?”

“Hey mom. I got you message. I thought I would let you know that I am here and settled.”

“Thats good honey. I was worried.”

“I didn't wake you, did I?”

“No.” Liz laughed. “Its only noon here. I'm on my lunch break and fending off Elena who is demanding to know where you went.” Caroline groaned. “I told her that I don't know where you are and I think that it would be for the best. Just, keep me updated.” Caroline heard someone in the background and Liz answered them briefly. “Thank you for letting me know that you are safe but I have to go honey. Call me tomorrow and enjoy yourself. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Caroline hung up the phone and smiled. She was worried that her mother being in that house alone but she realized that her fears were for not. Liz would do as she always did, throw herself into work and the council. Next, Caroline debated between calling Bonnie and Elena. She decided on Bonnie because Caroline could already tell from her mother's tone and Elena's messages that she was just not up to dealing with her vampire friend just yet.

“Caroline!” Bonnie's excited voice answered. “Thank god. I was beginning to wonder if you tossed your phone somewhere. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just was traveling. I'm in-”

“No! Don't tell me. Elena has been bugging me to attempt a locator spell but I refused. It would be harder to hold her off. She wants to drag you back.” Caroline heard Bonnie sigh. “I won't lie and say I wasn't hurt when I got your message but I talked to your mom. Tyler is a dick.”

“Yeah...he is. And I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. You need this. I get that. How are you holding up?”

“Okay. I don't know when I'm coming back yet though.”

“Stay, wherever you are, and just let yourself enjoy it. Do not worry about us. If anything happens, I'll let you know and I will try and hold off Elena. Damon is mad that you left and cannot play Klaus distraction anymore which is why I think she is trying so hard to get you to come back.” Bonnie paused. “How do you think Klaus will react when he notices you're gone?”

“He already knows.” Caroline didn't know if it was a wise idea to let Bonnie know she stopped to see him before she left. “I left him a message. I didn't want him to go on a rampage and for you guys to suffer because I needed to get away.”

“Good thinking. I bet he is blowing up your phone.” Bonnie laughed. Klaus had called only once and left her one message. She was beginning to wonder how he knew exactly what she needed. Caroline heard the bell ring in the background. “I got to get to class but just don't rush back okay? Gather stories and adventures to tell me and to make me jealous.”

“You could always join me, you know. Us two, adventures around the world.” Caroline chuckled, knowing that Bonnie would never actually leave Mystic Falls, at least not now. “It would be fun.”

“I can't run away Caroline, I wish I could, but I can't. I have my mom back now, kind of, whenever she turns up I mean. I have my dad and I am working on a new way to practice magic. I am getting pretty good at it actually.” Bonnie stated. “Maybe one day but for right now, I really need to get to class. Be safe.”

“I will. Bye Bonnie.”

“Bye Care.”

Caroline hung up the phone just in time for a knock to sound on her door. She called out for them to enter and she saw Reid come in with a silver tray. A hearty stew was served in a bowl with crusty bread on the side. Two tall glasses sat beside the bowl, one filled with water and the other blood. She thanked Reid and the butler swiftly left the room. Caroline tore a piece of bread and dipped it into the stew, her stomach growling as she did.

As she ate, she continued to scroll through her phone. Her fingers hovered over Tyler's name in the contact section and paused. She did not know if she wanted to call him or block him. Instead, she did nothing. She knew that her relationship with Tyler was over but she was not ready to let go of that hurt just yet. Instead, she made one final call before she truly began this new chapter.

“Hello sweetheart.”

“You know, I had thought Elijah was stuffy now but seeing a picture of him from the eighteen hundreds brings a whole new meaning to the word.” Caroline replied and smiled when she heard Klaus's chuckle.

“Well I am pleased you are making yourself at home. Please, feel free to snoop all you like. That manor holds no secrets from you.” The meaning behind his words resinated with Caroline. This was his home for decades and he was just letting her have free reign of it. “Do what you like and if there is anything you need, you can always ask.”

“I am sure that Reid will also report anything you want to know right back to you.” Caroline teased.

“Good man Reid.” The genuine emotion that she heard in his voice was enough to make her smile. “Yes, Reid told me you arrived but he won't betray your trust. Enjoy Scotland Caroline. Do whatever you need to do and do not worry about Reid or anything else. If you want me to know something, you will tell me.”

“What have I done to earn such trust? Trust you do not extend even to your siblings?”

“You've never betrayed me. Not really.” He chuckled. “Although, the death of Finn did not win you any points but I have forgiven you for that.” That was high praise coming from him. While Klaus wasn't particularly close with Finn, having kept him in a coffin for nine hundred years, she knew the loss cut him deeply. “You're loyal Caroline, even when that loyalty is divided.”

“Are you saying that I'm loyal to you?” Klaus didn't reply right away and Caroline felt no need claiming that she wasn't. If Caroline was going to be honest with herself, she knew that loyalty was no longer black and white. Nothing was. Seeing Tyler in bed with someone who was not her had shaken her to her core. It would take time but maybe one day she would be able to give that loyalty to someone who deserved her.

“I think you need time to figure out what you really want.” His tone was gentle and understanding. “When you discover what you're really capable of and how beautiful you are, I know that you will show up on my doorstep. You just need time and that is something we have an eternity of. I can wait.”

“Cocky much?”

“I've been around a long time Caroline. After a thousand years and you learn a thing or two.” His tone was confidant but comforting at the same time. “Goodbye Sweetheart.”

*

The weeks that Caroline spent in Scotland and the neighboring countries was magical. The first few days were spent exploring the manor and the grounds. By the end of the week she started to explore Edinburgh. She went shopping and bought everything she needed for the changing seasons. It was the end of November and the longer Caroline was away from Mystic Falls, the less she missed it. Bonnie told her how the pageant went, how her new found magic was progressing and general life of that small supernatural town; including never ending triangle between Stefan, Elena and Damon.

Caroline had never been more happy to be away from it.

She spoke to her mother everyday. It was strange how a thousand and some miles away caused Caroline and Liz to speak more often than they had when they lived in the same house. Caroline told Liz stories of her travels. Elena eventually realized that Liz was not going to force Caroline back and therefore stopped pestering her therefore Caroline told her mother where she was. She sent her pictures of her at Stonehenge and of the weekend she spent in London.

Elena called everyday but eventually stopped leaving voice messages. Caroline never answered because she knew how judgmental Elena was feeling about Caroline leaving. If her attitude was different, Caroline would have been more than happy to speak with her friend. However, listening to Bonnie explain that Elena was feeling abandoned instead of understanding the heartache Caroline was feeling caused Caroline to just put that conversation off. In the back of her mind, she knew that the longer she put off the conversation, the more likely she would not have it at all.

She found it strange that it was Klaus who she spoke with the most, out side of her mother. They would spend hours on the phone discussing everything under the sun. Their phones calls started exactly one week after her arrival. She had found an old thick book of sketches Klaus had done over the centuries. There was one in particular that stood out; a landscape that consisted of a very old road with a small stone wall on each side. She snapped a photo of it, sent it to him questioning where that road was.

A three hour phone call, quick packing session and a two day drive later, Caroline found herself standing in the exact spot of that sketch. While the manor became her home away from homes, Caroline found that she was not one to simply stay there during the entirety of her visit. She traveled the length of Scotland, Ireland and the majority of England-hitting the most important spots of course. Six weeks had flown by quickly and Caroline had never felt more alive.

After a long stay in southern England, Caroline found her way back to the manor and was curled up under a thick blanket. Her favorite spot of the manor became the greenhouse that was converted into a living room area of sorts. There was a fireplace installed and Caroline couldn't help but light it to keep warm while she watched the falling snow; apparently winter came early in this part of the world. It was beautiful, seeing the fresh snow lay upon the hills, the clear night sky and feel the ice in the air. With a mug of spiked hot chocolate in her hand, Caroline dialed a now familiar number.

“Whoever's idea it was to convert this greenhouse into a living room was a genius. I can enjoy the snow, stars and view without freezing to death.” Hearing his laugh was something she quickly realized she loved.

“I wish I could take credit for it but I think it was one of the witches ideas back in the eighties.”

“Ah, yes, your infamous witches. I've heard so many tales of them.” She teased. “Did you really let them convince you that pouring pigs blood down your throat in the middle of Stonehenge would help you break the hybrid curse? You seem so much smarter than that. They didn't even try to use the famous virgin sacrifice line?”

“The eighties was a low period.” There was humor in his tone. “I take it Reid has been telling stories?”

“I've been sworn to secrecy.”

“Fine, fine, hold your secrets. How was Bath?”

“The hot springs were perfect because it is getting cold and the Georgian architecture was beautiful but I am glad to be back at the manor. I think I am going to stay her for awhile. I think I am going to deck this place out for the holidays. Big tree, trimmings, spiked egg nog; whole nine yards.”

“Sounds like someone is itching to plan something.”

“Well I was supposed to plan Miss Mystic Falls but I jumped ship before I really got the chance.” Caroline sat her hot chocolate down and curled further into the blanket. “Bonnie told me that it went well but she didn't say too much. I think she was trying to avoid bringing up Tyler.”

“Most likely since he brought that Haley girl as his date.” Caroline grew silent. “If he was still sired to me Caroline, he would have never hurt you. I wouldn't have let him.” Hearing him say such things should have made her scoff, but it didn't. Instead she just smiled lightly and thanked him. “How are you fairing?”

“Alright. It still hurts but it is almost bearable now. I think realizing that there is a world outside of my hometown really put Tyler's betrayal in perspective. I became that girl again. I became the girl I never wanted to be. I waited by the phone for some boy to call instead of really living life. I never want to be that girl again.”

“You are so much more than that girl Caroline. I saw that in you the moment I met you.” Caroline thought about that moment, wondering if the big bad Klaus was going to kill her. “Now look at you. You're out exploring the world in a way only Caroline Forbes could achieve. Now it is me sitting in a small town waiting for a girl to call.” That caused her to laugh out loud.

“Why are you still there anyway?”

“Trying to help Stefan find the cure and hopefully make more hybrids.”

“Ahh, the never ending Elena show, I should have guessed.” Caroline paused. The fact that Klaus still had hybrids did not bother her as much as it once had, now that she was no longer in a relationship with one. However, it now made her sad to think that Klaus felt that he needed them; sad for the loneliness he felt. “You don't need them you know, the hybrids. You have at least one friend in the world.”

“I'm flattered that you would call yourself my friend.”

“I was talking about Reid.” This made Klaus laugh again. “So I guess that makes two friends.” His laughter stopped and he took a deep breath. “I mean you did put me up in a beautiful Scottish estate so that would put you in the friend category.”

“Thank you Sweetheart.”

“As for the hybrids, I don't think you need them. While I do not particularly like the idea of people being pretty much enslaved-”

“Sired.”

“Whatever, same thing. I don't like the idea of people being sired to another person, vampire or whatever you are but I won't begrudge you from doing what you do with the last of Elena's blood.” Caroline said, pausing for thought. “Although maybe instead of forcing werewolves to turn, you could give them a choice. Say, give them a sales pitch, with all the pros and cons and let them decide.”

“I'll take it into consideration.” His tone was light and thoughtful. Caroline could tell that he was actually considering it. That pleased her. “It's getting rather late in Scotland. I believe it is time that I leave you to your rest. Goodnight Caroline.”

“Goodnight Klaus.”

*

Caroline dedicated the time she remained solely in Edinburgh to making the manor as festive as possible. The entirety of December, Caroline found her inner mistress of Pemberley and had the manor decorated to the point that she felt she stepped into the North Pole itself. She acquired the biggest Christmas tree she had ever had previously. She decorated it in a fun but tasteful manner; colors of blue and white hanging from it. The banister was covered in garland and she had lights hung almost everywhere. It was the most decorative she had completed that was outside of an event for Mystic Falls. Caroline couldn't help but be proud of herself.

Even the staff was uplifted. While Caroline did not know most of their names, she did know that working for a manor where there were no occupants was less than exciting. Reid had expressed this notion to her when she was concerned that she was requesting to much of them. Not only that, but being around people, even if they are being paid to be there caused Caroline to forget that she was going to be alone on Christmas. For a brief second she considered going home, just for the day to see her mom, but decided against it. She knew that if she boarded a plane back to Mystic Falls, she never would leave.

Instead she focused on making the manor her home away from home. She had it all planned. Christmas Eve she would go into Edinburgh and hit up one of the clubs and party until she drops. On Christmas day (after she sleeps off her night of partying) she would call her mom, via Skype, have a very long conversation by the fire and open the gifts that she had already mailed back to Mystic Falls. Once that was done, she would indulge in some spiked eggnog while watching _Its a Wonderful Life._ Maybe she would call Bonnie and Klaus. If she felts generous, maybe Elena. While she wouldn't be surround by her friends and family, Caroline has learned to adapt at being alone; or was at least trying too.

The pre-vampire Caroline shuddered at the thought.

She was so focused on her solitary Christmas plans that Caroline didn't notice Reid and the rest of the help acting strange. She didn't notice how they cleaned out a spare room or how Reid was on his cellphone more often than not. She didn't notice how the cook shopped for food as though she was planning on cooking a feast. If she had noticed, Caroline would have jumped to the wrong conclusions; so when she heard a car drive up towards the manor, her first thought was that Klaus left Mystic Falls. Yet, as she flashed outside into falling snow it was not the hybrid stepping out of the car.

“Mom!”

Liz Forbes stepped out of the town car in awe, looking much like Caroline had when she first saw the manor. Caroline, however, did not allow her mother a moment to adjust. She wrapped her arms around Liz and squeezed.

“Caroline, I'm only human.” The vampire dropped Liz and chuckled.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, a certain thousand year old vampire showed up at my door with a plane ticket and list of vacation hours that I have never taken.” Liz said in a huff. “Apparently I had no choice but to accept the gift or I would have been kidnapped.”

“Oh. Well, I'm happy you're here.” Caroline said bashful under her mother's intense stare.

“We are having words about the fact that you're living in Klaus's home.”

“But it is not like he is here or anything. And don't act like you're not happy to see me.” Liz smiled at that.

“You know I am. I've missed you.”

“I've missed you too. About the only thing about home I miss to be honest.” Liz smiled at that. Caroline knew that she would get a full update on the ongoings of her hometown but for now she just wanted to see her mom. “But come on, lets get you settled. I'll ask Reid, the butler” Caroline added at her mother's confused look “where he plans on you sleeping. How long are you here for?”

“A week.”

“So you're leaving right before New Years? Okay, I can work with that.” Caroline pulled Liz inside of the manor. Liz was baffled by the place. She had never been outside the United States before. When she married Bill, they had taken their honeymoon in New York and that was about as far away from Mystic Falls she had ever been. When Klaus explained that he would send her to Scotland, on his dime, so she could spend it with her daughter; she couldn't help but agree; even if it came from Klaus.

It felt good having Liz there. Christmas back in Mystic Falls was always a pushed affair. Liz never seemed really present and Caroline knew it was because of her father. Liz would pick up extra shifts so her deputies could have the day with their families, leaving Caroline to either spend Christmas alone or with the Gilberts. However, in Scotland, the two Forbes woman truly enjoyed the holiday.

The few days before the holiday the two of them went shopping in Edinburgh and enjoyed a few of the cafes the town held. The cook at the manor brought out her best skills and provided a full meal each night which had the two feeling full and satisfied by the end of the night. They laughed and cried and just simply enjoyed their time together. Caroline would never admit it but she was grateful that Klaus sent her mother to her for Christmas. It was the best gift she could have asked for.

On Christmas Eve, Liz and Caroline sat in the renovated greenhouse with blankets and snack while watching _It's a Wonderful Life,_ Reid had the staff move the big TV into the greenhouse, while snow fell around them. They drank hot chocolate and Caroline fell asleep on her mother's shoulder. It was beyond perfect and the best Christmas she had ever experienced, including the ones she had when her parents were still married. It was everything Caroline had ever wanted.

Until Christmas morning came and everything went to hell.

It started out perfect. Caroline opened the gifts her mother brought with her; along with Caroline apologizing that she had already shipped Liz's home. They laughed and took pictures around the tree all the while enjoying the day with it just being the two of them. Liz was not working and there little to no distractions. So when Liz's phone rang for the first time since she had come to Scotland, the two of them jumped. Liz reached and saw that it was one of the deputies.

 

“What? When?” Liz's eyes were wide and Caroline sat down her coffee, looking at her mother concerned. “How did she die? Who drowned her? You don't know? When did it happen?” Liz's questions fired off and Caroline realized that it would still be considered Christmas Eve in Mystic Falls. At that exact moment, Caroline's phone buzzed and she saw that it was Klaus calling her. She pressed the accept button but intended to keep the call short.

 

“Klaus now is not-”

“Did you know?” His voice hissed into her ear. His tone was deadly and menacing. She had heard that tone before, the night in the high school gym ringing in her mind, but he never spoke to her that way. “Did you know what your little pup of an ex was up to?”

“What are you talking about Klaus? What did Tyler do?”

“Did you know that he was unsiring my hybrids?!”

“What?!” Caroline was genuinely surprised. Tyler hardly told her anything about his time in the Appalachian Mountains and after finding him with Haley, she did not care to ask. “I knew he broke the sire bond but I did not know that he was trying to break the bond of the rest of them. I promise.” Klaus let out a short breath and Caroline could hear the relief in it. She looked up at her mom and saw that she was still talking with her deputies; everything clicked into place. “What did you do Klaus?”

“He took them from me Caroline. So I took the last thing he had left.” With that Klaus ended the call and Caroline felt the emptiness in the pit of her stomach. Liz ended her call and looked at her daughter with sadness in her eyes.

“Carol Lockwood is dead.”

Liz packed quickly. She needed to get back to Mystic Falls and Caroline did not blame her. This was a true emergency and she was needed. Caroline offered to come back with her but Liz refused; stating that what she said in their kitchen all those weeks ago still stood. Liz wanted her daughter to experience and see the world. Mystic Falls would just hold her back.

Liz was gone by the end of the day, Reid having arranged for transportation to the airport. The moment Caroline watched the car drive away, she looked around the manor and felt the loneliness creep up on her. Not once since she left Mystic Falls had she felt so alone. She had enjoyed her time away but now she missed being around her friends. Caroline shook herself and did the only thing she could think of.

She called Bonnie; but for the first time since she left, Bonnie did not answer. Caroline's eyebrows creased in confusion but did not leave her a message. Instead, she called the only other person she felt willing to speak to and one that she could get answers from.

“Caroline?” Stefan's voice answered in surprise and confusion. “What-”

“What the hell is going on?!” Caroline was impatient and she wanted answers. She knew that her mom would call her and tell her but she did not want to wait the length of time it took Liz to return to Mystic Falls. Stefan sighed and told her everything.

“Tyler has been working with Haley-” Caroline hissed at the name “to break the sire bond of the hybrids. They then concocted a plan to take down Klaus, something I hate to say that Damon and Elena were in on.” Caroline huffed, of course Damon would be in on some stupid scheme to take down Klaus. “I tried to stop them but Tyler locked me up in the old Lockwood cells.”

“Ass.”

“Thanks.” Stefan chuckled at her clear hatred of Tyler and his offense against Stefan. “Anyway, Haley promised to deliver a witch that could cast a spell that would put Klaus in Rebekah's body and drop them both in the ocean.” The thought of Klaus being in the bottom of the ocean bothered Caroline more than she wanted to admit. “But there was no witch. Instead Haley went to Klaus, told him everything and led him directly to the hybrids. He murdered all twelve. It was a massacre.”

“And then he killed Carol Lockwood.” Stefan confirmed her suspicion and she shook her head. Thirteen people were dead, by Klaus's hand but in some ways Caroline knew that the deaths were the fault of that bitch Haley as well. “I leave and everything falls to hell. God, you all are idiots.”

“Thanks.”

“Not you, although this whole cure bullshit is going to screw you over, just forewarning. Damon is definitely an idiot and Tyler is a bigger idiot than I thought.” Caroline replied and Stefan chuckled at that before pausing again.

“How did you know about the cure?” _Shit._ Caroline tried to backpedal but while Stefan was a blind man when it came to Elena, he could read people even when they were thousands of miles away. “You've been talking with Klaus?”

“It is not as bad-”

“I've been sleeping with Rebekah.” The conversation spiraled from there, learning that Elena was in bed with Damon and Bonnie was spending way to much time with a creepy professor. Caroline had never been more thankful that she decided not to return to Mystic falls. By the end of the call, she decided she most likely never would.

When she hung up with Stefan the manor felt as though she was suffocating her. She flashed to the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom, showered and then packed her clothes. It was time to leave Scotland and nothing was going to stop her. It was nice but she could not stop thinking about those hybrids and Carol Lockwood. Tyler was stupid for picking a fight he could not win but Klaus did not have to kill all those people. The weeks they spent talking on the phone blinded her as to what Klaus was capable of. She needed to separate herself from Virginia completely, with the exception of her mother, and leave all the drama behind; Original Hybrid included.

Once she was all packed, Caroline reached for her phone, seeing Tyler's name flash across the screen. He probably needed comfort seeing that his mother just died. She felt for him in that regard, having lost her father but when she thought of Tyler, she still saw him in bed with Haley. Despite all the terrible things that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, Caroline felt a slight satisfaction that Haley betrayed Tyler in a way. She held the vibrating phone in her hand, before ignoring the call.

Caroline gathered her things, grabbed the keys to one of Klaus's cars (he could deal with it) and drove the airport; adding Klaus to the do not answer list as she went.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to point out that Caroline is slowly changing. This is the beginning and parts of Caroline still see Klaus as the bad guy. She is beginning to see him in a new light but Carol Lockwood's death needed to throw her into a set back. 
> 
> Spoiler, the next chapter will focus on Caroline being lost in a way or hitting a bumpy road. Its not angsty but this story focuses not just on Klaus and Caroline...but Caroline's growth as a person and as a vampire.


	3. Saint Petersburg

**Saint Petersburg, Russia**

Fleeing Scotland was less dramatic than she anticipated. Klaus called, of course but she ignored him. She knew that Reid would inform him that she left. She wondered if Klaus would leave Mystic Falls to search for her. If that was the case, Caroline wanted to go to the last place he might think to look for her. Seeing that it was the dead middle of winter, she picked once of the coldest places she could think of; Russia. She compelled herself a car once she landed and a rather luxurious hotel suite once she picked a place to stay. She did not want to hide from him but she did not want to go to the obvious place either; that is if he even looked for her.

Besides the few calls from her mother and few from Stefan, Caroline blocked out anything Mystic Falls related. During the cold freezing weeks in Russia, Caroline learned more about herself than she had in Scotland and in Mystic Falls. The first thing she learned was that she had been sheltered from what it really meant to be a vampire. Coming across blood-bags was harder than she expected because she could not just waltz into a hospital, grab them and leave as easily as she could back home. Compelling a few people was one thing, a whole hospital was another and Saint Petersburg monitored such things far more closely than Mystic Falls. Not only that, but due to being a highly populated city in a country that was known for it's freezing temperatures, wildlife was even harder to come by. Thus Caroline took to the good old standby of _snatch, eat, erase_.

The second thing she learned was that it did not bother her as much as she thought it would have. After weeks of drinking from the vein, Caroline realized that she would not be able to go back to drinking Stefan's furry diet again. She wasn't a ripper and did not have the issue of massacring an entire city like he did. Compulsion did bother her to a point but if she made the person forget the brief pain they felt while Caroline fed on them, she found that she was able to take her fill of blood. Of course, she never crossed the line and turn her meals into victims like she had been once. At least, not on purpose.

Of course, there were slip ups. Caroline, despite her painstaking efforts, was not perfect. She found that she enjoyed the nightlife Russia had to provide a bit too much. The dancing and drinking allowed Caroline to entrance her next meal into her arms. On a few occasions, _three times,_ she would take the young men _, and once a woman,_ back to her hotel suit in order to fuck the memory of Tyler's betrayal out of her system. Although if she was honest with herself, it was just not Tyler she was trying to get out from under her skin.

Then one extremely early morning during the first week in March, Caroline woke to find a dead body of a man in her bed lying next to her.

“Mother fucker!” At first she panicked. She checked his pulse. Nothing. He was cold and his neck pretty much torn apart. Caroline looked down at him and could not even remember his name. What she did remember was him trying to pin down her wrists to the bed and she just lost control. Since the man she killed at the school caravel, she had not killed a single soul. Tears fell down her cheeks for a moment before survival instinct kicked in. “Shit shit shit shit.”

She wrapped the body in a her sheets, erased any trace of the murder, dressed and flashed down to her car in the garage. Due to the early hour and vampire speed, it was easy to move without being detected. She drove to the other side of the city, weighed the body down and dumped the nameless man into the Baltic Sea. He would be discovered eventually but Caroline would be long gone by then. She had a few days if not weeks before that happened so Caroline did not feel the need to rush.

Instead of rushing out of Russia like she probably should have, she decided to take a walk in order to clear her thoughts. She thought about the man she murdered after sex and what that said about her. She wanted nothing more than to be perfect, never kill and live by the code Stefan tried to teach her. However, she was finding that she was not that person. She was not the person they all wanted her to be. She felt guilty that she killed him but it did not consume her as it once would have. She felt more guilty that she could not remember his name and it was that fact that bothered her the most.

She continued to walk, pulling the winter coat she had bought back in Scotland around her and just let herself think. It was not long before she found herself in the central part of Saint Petersburg. She normally stuck to the downtown part but had visited this part of the city once to see the old buildings. They reminded her of Klaus and all she wanted to do was call him. However, she was still mad at him and was avoiding anything that had to do with him.

As though the universe wanted her to think more on Klaus, she found herself standing outside an art gallery. She checked the time and saw that it was around six in the morning. It was still closed and Caroline was still a mess from covering up a murder. She saw a sign in the window for an art showing later in the day. Of course the advertisement was in Russian but after a few weeks, Caroline was pleased to admit that she picked up enough Russian to read a flyer, or at least the times on it. She vowed that once she was better dressed, she would return.

Once she showed back at her hotel room, cleaned the room from head to toe and put on a rather nice dress, Caroline found herself back at that art gallery in the early evening. Caroline easily blended in with the crowed. She drank the wine that was offered and looked at the art, allowing herself to think of Klaus and the thirteen bodies he left behind. He was a thousand years older than her and had killed his fair share of people. She was a vampire for less than two years and already killed two people. If she lived to be a thousand, would a thousand more bodies follow? If that was the case, how could she judge Klaus, for she was no better?

“It is beautiful, is it not?” Caroline jumped at the foreign voice and saw a rather attractive man before her. He had thick black hair and dark brown eyes. He was dressed in black slacks, a white button down and a long black coat. He appeared to be in his early thirties and was very clearly a vampire. If Caroline's senses were correct, he was a very old one. “I apologize, I tried to get your attention earlier but it became clear that you spoke little to no Russian.”

“I know enough to get by but not enough to hold a conversation.” That surprised Caroline because she had not heard anyone trying to gain her attention. She scolded herself for ignoring her surroundings and allowing a vampire get so close to her. While he seems as though he posed her no threat, if he had, it could have ended disastrously for Caroline.

“My name is Malcom. When were you turned?”

“Caroline and that is a bold question.”

“I suppose it is.” He chuckled. “I was turned if 1593.”

“FYI, sneaking up on girl is creepy and asking her age is just rude.” This caused him to chuckle. “But, it will be two years this fall.”

“If I did not know you were young before, your speech certainly gave it away.” While his words may have sounded condescending, his tone was anything but. She wondered if the older the vampire was, the less it mattered to the age of those vampires around them. It would explain, in part, why Klaus could care less that she was just turned when he came into town and became infatuated with her. “What is it that has you so distracted that you could not even sense my presence?” Caroline hesitated, her back stiffening. “I promise that I mean you no harm. Just looking for some innocent conversation.”

“I bet all the serial killers say that.” She hesitated but sensed nothing off putting about him. Caroline looked back at the piece and really took in the deep red colors it showed. It would be nice to talk to someone who might understand her inner conflict but was removed for the entire situation. Perhaps she would be able to gain some insight into what this all meant. “I suppose that it reminds me of someone, the painting I mean.”

“A former lover I take it? Still has your emotions tied in a knot?” He chuckled. “We all have had those. There was a man I loved back in the early 1800s. He died but left a mark deep enough that I still think of him.” Malcom's confession took her by surprise. She had assumed that he would have been a ladies man but what surprised her more was the fact that he was willing to admit to his sexuality while in _Russia_ of all places. “Has he passed on?”

“No. He is still alive and he is not my lover. Even though he really wants to be.” She gave a laugh and saw the wide smile on the man's lips. “Since becoming a vampire the idea of killing has not sat easy with me. I slipped up early on but have tried to control my urges the best I can. However, it still eats at me. I think it was because I was compelled as a human that I understand the fear victims feel when they are being fed upon.”

“The vampire who compelled you-”

“Is my sire but not the man who I am speaking of. No, if K-” Caroline paused, thinking it best not to say that the man in question was an original vampire “if Nik knew what was done to me, I am positive my sire would not have a heart at the moment. Scratch that, he would but he would be in serious pain...for a few centuries.”

“It sounds like he cares for you very much. I take it that this Nik is older?”

“Very. Older than you.” She smirked at him and noticed that a few people were trying to view the painting they were standing in front of. Caroline began to move and Malcom fell into step with her easily enough. “That is not the point. Murder does not bother Nik. He does not kill for the thrill of it, at least not since I've known him but recently he left a trail bodies behind him and I freaked out.”

“What changed?” Caroline looked at Malcom with an obvious question in her eyes. She looked into Malcom's eyes and could see kindness there. He understood why she had left without question. “What I mean to say is that you would not be here, thinking of him, if the idea of him committing murder still bothered you, so something changed.”

“I woke up this morning next to a dead body that I drained. It was an accident.” Caroline confessed. She looked down at her wine, swirling it in the glass. She raised it to her lips and drained it until there was nothing left. “I killed a man today and now I wonder if I was too harsh on him? Granted he knew the people he killed and granted they picked a fight that they could not win, and I killed a man in a post-sex haze so the situations are completely different.”

“You are young Caroline. With time, accidents like these will become less frequent and fade into the background.” It took Caroline a moment to realize that he did not judge her. If she had confessed this to anyone else, the reaction would be different. Her mother would be disappointed and might even refuse to look at her. Elena and Bonnie would judge her quickly because what she had done evaded their moral code. Stefan would be sympathetic but would try and fix her. Klaus would just be jealous that she slept with someone else; thoughts of Tyler flashed in her mind and how jealous Klaus was over him. “May I offer some advice?”

“Why do I feel like you're going to give it no matter what I say?” Malcom laughed and Caroline could tell that he enjoyed her. In the back of her mind she wondered what it said about her that two very old vampires found her amusing. Despite those thoughts, she could tell that Malcom meant her no harm.

“You are correct. Worry not about the man you killed today. It is harsh but unfortunately that is the natural order of things. You are a vampire and there will be times that you take a life, especially in those moments when your emotions are heightened.” He took a sip of his own wine before continuing. “As for this Nik, it sounds as though he was provoked. Answer me this, in the time you have know this man, which given your age is not long, has he ever killed with little to no reason?”

No. Klaus always had a reason. Sometimes they were selfish reasons or a means to an end, but there was always a reason behind it. As far as Caroline knew he never even killed those he fed from. He never did what Damon had done to her, never compelling some helpless woman into his bed. She hated to admit it but even Jenna's death had a purpose and killing Carol Lockwood was done because Tyler provoked him.

“I believe you have your answer.” Malcom smiled kindly at her. “Now, let us enjoy the beautiful and not so beautiful art in this gallery before dining at the nice bistro down the road. Perhaps I can ease the idea of being a vampire for you a little more.” Caroline smiled and agreed. They two strolled the gallery for a few hours and did enjoy a nice meal together. It was refreshing to speak to a vampire who was not an Original or a Salvator.

Malcom never tried to get into her pants, mainly because she was not his type, nor did he speak down to her. Instead he told her about his experiences over the four hundred and so years he had been alive. She told him of the small town she had come from and how she was murdered in her hospital bed by a vengeful vampire. She omitted some parts, Klaus particularly, but for the most part she was honest with him. Once dinner was consumed the pair strolled until the early morning and Caroline allowed herself to fully relax.

“It was 1854 and I was in France. Now, the French are very passionate and I found myself in the midst of-” Malcom paused and Caroline noticed that his skin was going pale. He froze, his hand gripping her arm tightly. He began to cough and blood was coming out of his mouth and his nose. Caroline's eyes went wide and she watched him collapse to the ground. His skin went from pale to grey as the desiccation process began. The few people who were on the street, screamed and she saw one person pull their phone out, she supposed to call for help. As Caroline sped away, she realized one thing.

An Original Vampire was dead.

Caroline rushed back to her hotel room before the police could arrive to inspect the now dead vampire's body and scratch their heads as to why he was gray. She would have to leave Russia soon. While the body at the bottom of the Baltic Sea may be a problem in a day or so, especially since she was the last one seen with him, a dead vampire in the middle of Saint Petersburg was a problem now. Caroline quickly started to pack her bags and reached for her phone. She quickly dialed a familiar number and continued to check herself in the mirror just to see if she saw a hint of gray in her reflection.

“Hello love.”

“Klaus, thank god. I was in the middle of the street talking to a vampire and he literally just dropped dead. Like one second he is going on about some orgy he went to in France and the next he is dead.” She rushed out, pleased to hear his voice. While she was pretty certain that she came from Klaus's bloodline, she still wanted to make sure he was alive. She felt no negative effects and knew she was not desiccating. She could tell herself that she wanted to make sure it was for her own safety that Klaus was alive, but she would be fooling herself. “I needed to call and-”

“See if it was me your traitorous little friends killed.” Klaus smooth voice sounded but Caroline could hear the danger behind it. Klaus was angry. Very angry. In fact, she was sure that the only time she had ever heard him this angry was the call she received Christmas morning.

“oh no-who?”

"Kol.”

“Klaus, I'm-”

“The doppelganger and her hunter of a brother staked him right in front of me.” His tone broke slightly and she knew that at the end of the day, family meant everything to Klaus. “I'm looking at his body as we speak.”

“What? Are they-?”

“Alive? For now. Your witch friend has me spelled to remain in the doppelganger's living room while they go off and search for the cure.” Great, now Bonnie was involved. “This spell will only last so long Caroline and I can not guarantee that my kindness will return once it wares off.”

“Are they fucking insane? Have they learned nothing from Carol Lockwood's death?” The words were out of her mouth before she could think. “And _seriously!_ They just left you locked in a room with your dead brother's body? Like, _seriously?”_

“I'm pleased to hear the injustice on my behalf in your voice sweetheart.” Klaus all but cooed in a honey sweet tone and but the anger lingered between his words. She knew that his rage would bleed into recklessness and Caroline wondered if Mystic Falls would be left standing once he was finished. Yet, those he killed would not be killed without a purpose. Caroline knew that in Klaus's mind, all deaths would be in order to avenge Kol.

“I'm still pissed at you.”

“The fact that you ran away from Scotland may have convinced me of that fact.” Caroline could not tell if his frustrated tone was directed at her or towards the situation in general. “You could say that I am not having the best of luck recently.”

“Drowning the town mayor in a fountain will do that to you.” Caroline bit back.

“Perhaps.” Klaus chuckled darkly for a second. She could hear a door open and footsteps through the phone. “Hold on for a moment will you? Hello Tyler. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I came to see the big bad wolf in cage.” Caroline could hear the joy in Tyler's voice. She rolled her eyes and put her phone on speaker. She flashed around her hotel room and finished packing her bags while she let the wolves continue their alpha male ritual. “I plan on being present for every second of your misery until I can kill you myself.”

“Your mother is dead. So is my brother. We are even.” That caused Caroline to pause. Was Klaus doing what she thought he was doing? Was he really giving Tyler an olive branch and offering the chance to end this war that never seemed to leave Mystic Falls? “Call Bonnie. Convince her to let me out of here.” Okay. Nope. Manipulation. Check.

“I'll never help you.” Tyler hissed. Seriously! Caroline huffed and picked up the phone again; pressing it to her ear.

“Put me on speaker Klaus.”

“Are you sure? I thought you wanted nothing to do with this.”

“Just do it.”

“Very well.” There was a slight pause before Caroline heard Klaus's voice again. “Go ahead Sweetheart.”

“Have you lost your fucking mind Tyler?!”

“Caroline?”

“Like did Haley fuck the common sense out of you!” Caroline felt every ounce of betrayal spill out of her then. “I see that you clearly felt the need to downgrade your standards but I did not realize that your IQ dropped a few points too. Did you seriously think it was a good idea to provoke Klaus? The guy has like _zero_ moral compass.”

“I'm hurt sweetheart.”

“Shut up Klaus.”

“Now, during our long conversations over the past few weeks you never once told me to 'shut up'.” She could only imagine the shit eating he was wearing at the moment. He was just itching to rub that in Tyler's face and the petty side of Caroline could not blame him for that. Of course she could technically say she had spoken to him in weeks but her petty side won and she let it go.

“Wait, you've been talking to him?!” Caroline knew that voice. It was the voice that Tyler used whenever he was about to loose his tempter. Despite the fact that Tyler had activated his werewolf gene, he still was very angry most of the time. Klaus was just an outlet for him to channel that anger towards; and Klaus killing his mother did not help matters either. “You won't pick up the phone when I call-”

“And whose fault is that?”

“-but you've been talking to him?!”

“Are you serious!? Are you kidding me right now? Do I have to explain how you spent months with her while I waited for you? How you cheated on me? How I caught you fucking that werewolf slut who by the way, was using you the entire fucking time.” Caroline exploded. “And you have the audacity to be angry at that I have held a few conversations with Klaus since I left. Seriously!?” She let out a growl of frustration. “Ugh. I cannot even with you right now. Take me off speaker phone Klaus.”

“Very well Sweetheart.” His voice was velvet and she knew that he was enjoying the fact that she pretty much just picked Klaus over Tyler. Deep down Caroline knew that she enjoyed it as well, however she would never admit that out loud. “It's just us girls now. Tyler can't hear a word.”

“You killed his mom. Can you be anymore of a douchebag?” The caused Klaus to laugh loudly and Caroline knew he only did so just to infuriate Tyler even more. Tyler would be forced to either, enter the barrier where Klaus surely would kill him or be forced to watch Klaus talk to her when he could not. Well, she was done with the whole thing and disconnected the call. She grabbed her bag, ignored the continuous text messages Tyler sent her and got the fuck out of Russia.

She was halfway through the Ukraine when Stefan called her to inform her that Bonnie succumbed to black magic, Jeremey was dead, Katherine had the cure and Elena turned off her humanity. The world fell to shit and she was just done with it.

*

“ _Caroline. I'm standing in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me.”_

*

Caroline stopped off in Romania for the simple fact that she thought it would be hilarious to see Transylvania. She saw the movie Dracula and wanted to see the famous castle. What she did not expect to find was that the Romanian city was not a safe haven for vampires but in fact was run by a rather large werewolf pack. They sniffed her out within the first few days of her arrival. Out of the corner of her eye she could feel them watching her.

It wasn't until she was vervained on the full moon, carried into the woods and set loose as prey on some werewolf hunt that she realized that she really hated Eastern Europe. One of the wolfs caught her but she was able to get away with nothing more than a bite. Caroline was not sure if they let her go, thinking that she would die from the venom in her system or if she truly lost them. Either way, Caroline made it back to her hotel room, packed her stuff and speed out of the city as quickly as possible.

Speeding down the highway, Caroline could feel the bite throb and she could feel the hallucinations creeping their way into her mind. She reached into the cooler that she kept Klaus's blood in and downed one of the vials. Immediately the wound began to feel better and heel; her thoughts clearing as well. She could see the moon hanging in the sky as she continued to drive to an unknown destination. She pulled down the mirror and saw that she was covered in blood. Her blood but blood none the less.

“Hope there are no cops around. Last thing I need is to be arrested for murder when I clearly didn't kill anyone....this time.” Caroline huffed. She rolled here eyes and pressed a button on the consul. “Call Klaus.” She waited a few moments and then heard his accent fill her car.

“Hello Sweetheart.”

“Thank you Klaus.” She hoarsely breathed.

“Caroline? What is wrong?” His voice changed in a second and she could hear the frantic worry in it. She thought it was comforting that he actually seemed to care about her well being. Other than the message that he left regarding the fact that he left Mystic Falls, he gave her the space she needed. He did not call her a million times like Tyler had been doing. “Where are you?”

“Getting the hell of Transylvania. Any other cities that are overrun with werewolves that I should know about?”

“ _Shit!”_ She almost snorted at the shock and worry mixed in his tone. Almost. “Are you alright?”

“Besides the fact that a wolf took a good chunk out of my leg. I'm peachy.”

“You were bit?”

“Yeah. Thanks for the blood by the way. Total life saver. Literally.”

“Right. I gave you my blood. I almost forgot.” The relief in his tone brought a smile to Caroline's lips. She knew that the rest of the gang hated Klaus for good reason but she wondered if any of them had room to speak anymore. Yes, Klaus killed Elena and Jenna but Bonnie was just responsible for twelve dead witches, at least according to Stefan, and Elena left a trail of dead bodies in her wake thanks to the humanity switch. Thank you fucking Damon. “You're okay then?”

“Seeing signs for Bulgaria as we speak.” At least she thought they said Bulgaria. 

“Awful country.” She chuckled knowing he hated it for the sole fact that it was Katherine's country of birth. She could hear music in the background and she wondered for the first time where Klaus had gone to. Stefan just said he left and her mother said the same. The only Original left in Mystic Falls was Rebekah.

“Where are you?”

“New Orleans.” Caroline hummed in interest. “It was my home once. My family lived here for about two hundred years before my father tracked us down here; forcing us to flee.” She could hear the wistfulness in his tone and she knew that he must really love that city. “I meant what I said Caroline, I would love to show it to you.”

“Maybe one day.” She replied. “I'm sorry about Kol by the way. I didn't get a chance to say that before. At least not really.”

“Thank you sweetheart.”

“So, what are you doing in New Orleans.”

“I discovered that a very old friend of mine, who I thought long dead, has taken over the city. I want it back.” She snorted. Of course he would leave Mystic Falls to simply wage war somewhere else. She shook her head; some things would never change. “Of course it does not help that I raised Marcel since he was a boy and he does not trust me at all. It is making things rather difficult.”

“Wait. Back up. You raised a child? One that hates you now?” Shocker. Like, real life shocker there. She never imagined Klaus to be the fatherly type.

“I've lived a long life Caroline.” She laughed at that and agreed that he was old as dirt. She knew that he was smiling and that his dimples were pronounced. She realized that she missed him. She missed the conversations they had while she was in Scotland. She missed telling him of her adventures and hearing the stories of his life. “Tel Aviv.”

“What?”

“A city overrun with werewolves. Tel Aviv. Actually, stay our of Israel all together.” He paused. “Too much conflict.”

“Coming from you? That really says something.” He chuckled. “But noted.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Honestly? No idea. Not Eastern Europe though. I think I've had enough of it.”

“What exactly happened in Russia?”

“Besides watching a vampire just drop dead?” She paused. Should she tell him? Caroline went back and forth for a moment before deciding that there really was not much he could do. They were not in a relationship and she was certain that he was not a monk, waiting for her. “Lets just say I had a one night stand that went bad. As in his body is now at the bottom Baltic Sea.” Klaus didn't say anything at first but once he spoke, Caroline let out the breath she did not realize she was holding.

“We all slip up sometimes Sweetheart.” She smiled at his soothing tone. She wondered if he was upset that she had sex with someone who was not him but his voice gave nothing away. “There have been times when I have killed a human that I have been with. It happens to the best of us.”

"I see.” She paused. “Anyone recent?”

“Why? Jealous?”

“What? No!” Wait. What? How did he do that? How did he just turn the tables on her? Was she jealous? Of course not! He could sleep with anyone he wanted to. Even Haley. Okay, maybe not Haley. Alright _anyone_ but Haley.

“The answer to your question is no sweetheart. Appears I am going through a rather dry spell unfortunately.” Klaus replied and Caroline had no idea what to say to that. She also did not like the fact that she was pleased with that information. “I have a suggestion.”

“On?”

“Your next destination.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Klaus did NOT sleep with Haley. I am taking this part out of season 4. Here are the reasons why...  
> A) It would not work for this story. I feel that Klaus, knowing that Tyler actually slept with Haley and how it hurt Caroline, would not sleep with her. Especially since they have made some progress as friends.   
> B) It is not the last time we will see Haley (spoiler) but it will not be for awhile. This story will be the length of Caroline's first 100 years or so. 
> 
> So we will eventually have a couple time jumps. I just feel that the first year of Caroline being on her own is very important for her growth.


	4. Athens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't planning on posting this today-however, it is snowing, sleeting and freezing raining outside and today just felt like a good day for a posting. 
> 
> Enjoy.

**Athens, Greece**

 Caroline thought she had never seen anything so old, and that was saying something considering the fact that she spoke to Klaus on an almost daily basis. Just walking down the cobbled streets of Athens made her feel connected to history, more so than Alaric could ever explain to her in a classroom. She saw everything that the city would allow. She went to the historical sites such as the Temple of Zeus and the Herodes Theatre. She took many pictures and sent them all off to her mother, showing her the beauty of the city.

As the weeks pushed forward and the weather warmed up, Caroline drove to the port of Pireaus in order to stick her toes in the Mediterranean Sea. She found that she loved Greece more than she had any part of Eastern Europe. Then there were the people. Everywhere she turned she would find people selling flowers and clothes and everything under the sun. They were bright and welcoming. She would step into a restaurant, store and cafe and would feel welcomed by whomever ran the place. Everyone was loud and bright and kind. Caroline, despite living alone never felt lonely.

The home she purchased for herself was small. It took a good chunk of the college money she had but she loved Greece and decided that even if she left one day, she would always wanted a place there. It was completely white on the outside with a canopy that covered the small yard it came with. It had two bedrooms, a small kitchen and living area. It was not much but enough for her time there. She figured that she could always sell later but she knew that she would be in Greece for awhile.

In perfect Caroline fashion, she started taking college courses while working at a local cafe. She had to compel the office that she completed high school but that was easy to take care of. She took Greek and was picking it up rather quickly. Unlike her time in Russia, she did not try and ignore the feelings Tyler's betrayal had caused her but instead embraced them; she found herself feeling rather free of him-just not free of the betrayal. That would take time but the fact that Tyler stopped calling her also made things much easier.

Caroline also noticed that Tyler was not the only one who stopped calling. Elena never even tried to reach her once she turned her humanity back on; not that Caroline minded much. While she knew that Elena suffered in her life but so did everyone else. Not only that, but it was like negativity gravitated towards Elena. Perhaps it was the curse of being the doppelganger but either way, Caroline felt good to be away from it. However, the one that hurt the most was Bonnie. Bonnie had not tried to call her either. She knew that her witch friend had fallen into dark magic and was working her way out of it but any attempt of contact Caroline tried, was returned unanswered.

Caroline was not one to mope and feel sorry for herself. So, instead she got to work and made a life for herself; one that she was rather proud of. She enjoyed taking her text books and sitting down by the water and studying. She was only taking a few classes over the summer but planned on picking up more once the fall semester started. As she looked over the sea and felt the sea breeze on her face, she had never been more thankful that her mother pushed her away from Mystic Falls. She pulled out her phone and dialed.

“Hey Stranger.”

“Hello Sweetheart.”

“I have a question for you” She paused for a second, giving him the chance to answer. He chuckled and told her to proceed. “My text book states that the Venus de Milo statue was made in the image of Aphrodite; I am wondering that is true?” She knew that she was just searching for a reason to call him. Klaus, she would bet, knew it as well. “So I figured I would call the oldest person on the planet to get my answer.”

“Well I am sorry to disappoint you but I never worshiped those gods but that is what legend holds. It states that she was the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet. Despite being married she took many lovers and there are parts of the world that still worship her as the symbol of femininity.” Klaus spoke and Caroline smiled. Over the last several weeks, she loved to hear Klaus speak of history and the times before she was born. He knew more than any professor or teacher she ever had and just listening to his voice made her smile.

“For someone who never worshiped her, you certainly know a lot about her.” Caroline replied.

“Well, if you're curious as what the most beautiful women in the world looks like all you have to do is look in the mirror.” His tone was smooth and Caroline rolled her eyes.

“Seriously? Could you be any more cheesy.”

“Admit it love, you set yourself up for that one.” Caroline huffed but knew that Klaus was smiling on the other end. “What class are you taking?” Caroline knew that Klaus knew what classes she was taking and she would not have put it past him to know each and every professor she had, and her exact schedule.

“For this? Introduction to Art History.” At least that is what the english translation would have been. The Greek language class she was taking helped greatly with all her other courses and it made her pick the language up easier. “And since you love art and are old as dirt I think you should be capable to answer any and all questions I have.”

“You're free to ask me any questions that you have.” His voice made her smile. “Have you decided on a major?”

“Not yet. This covers a few gen ed requirements and it looked interesting.” She heard what sounded like a woman's voice over a loud speaker and Caroline's eyebrows creased in confusion. She had assumed that he would be in New Orleans and he never mentioned travels in their conversations. “Where are you?”

“An airport. My flight will be called soon, so I do not think I have to much longer to speak on the phone.”

“Where are you going?” At first, she had thought that he might be on his way to see her. However, she dismissed the thought. Klaus would not come to her unless she asked him to or her life was in danger. If her life was in danger, he would be at her side already.

“I have some business to attend to overseas. Should not take long and I will back in New Orleans to make Marcel's life a living hell.” His tone conveyed just how serious he was about this fact. Caroline never met the vampire but had learned all about him through Klaus. Even though Klaus never said it, she knew that Marcel meant a great deal to him.

“And who has been left in charge since your grand take over?” Caroline still remembered the late night call she received when Klaus had been victorious. She could never remember hearing him so happy about anything. He finally had taken back his kingdom and now Caroline could only wonder how long it would last. Either Marcel would retaliate to take it back or Klaus would find some other endeavor somewhere else.

“Elijah.”

“Smart choice.”

“Only choice. I have been informed that Rebekah has decided to take an extended vacation around Europe with the quarterback once graduation is over.”

“Matt? Good for him.” That surprised her. If anyone was destined to stay in Mystic Falls, it was Matt. However, when it came to someone like Elena, who Caroline felt would be waisting her potential in Mystic Falls, Matt was a completely different story. She knew her ex wanted the small town life, and there was nothing wrong with that. Matt getting married and having children would be fulfilling for him. Elena would only grow to resent it; as would Caroline. Hearing that Matt was traveling Europe with Rebekah was startling but she was pleased about it. At least when he settled down, he would have been somewhere else other than Mystic Falls.

“According to Elijah, Rebekah seems to be beside herself with her plans.” Klaus sounded bitter. Rebekah and Klaus had been on the outs for the last few months due to Klaus saving Caroline from the council and left Rebekah to fend for herself. That in return caused Rebekah to destroy the last of Elena's blood Klaus had. “I do hope that she does not do anything foolish.”

“Or, you could, oh I don't know, apologize.” Caroline added. “But you know, it is just a theory.”

“I have nothing to apologize for.”

“Of course not.” Caroline snorted. She knew one day that the two of them would forgive each other and go back to the destructive fights that they are known for. Caroline would not be surprised if, after her trip with Matt, Rebekah goes crawling back to Klaus. “She is your sister. The only one you have.”

“I know.” Klaus said nothing else and Caroline knew that meant the subject was dropped. “How are you handling today? I thought I would let you be, but since you called me..”

Caroline had thought that she would have been more upset on the day she would have graduated high school but she found that she was oddly at peace. She did not feel lonely or sad but instead she felt happy and as though the rest of the world was catching up to her. She did not feel as though she missed anything in life at all.

“I'm alright. I thought I would be sad today but I'm good. I drove out to Piraeus and I'm just watching the waves. I might do a small hike to the cliff side so I'm good. No need to worry about me.” She gave a wide smile and it was not the fake one she was so used to plastering on her lips. She was happy and would not drop anything to return to Mystic Falls for a ceremony. She paused when she heard the loud speaking in the background again.

“My flight is being called, love.” Caroline could not help but feel the pang of disappointment in her gut. She had not expected to say goodbye so soon. Caroline wanted to fight back against the feelings she was having for him, not just because he was Klaus but because she was just not ready for anything serious yet. Klaus wanted her to be all in and until she could give anyone that, she needed to get Tyler out of her heart completely. “And congratulations Caroline. Not on your graduation but on the lack there of. Leaving was the best thing you could have done for yourself.”

After Klaus disconnected the call, Caroline sat there just watching the waves; thinking on his words. She could imagine being back in Mystic Falls in some cap and gown waiting for her name to be called. At one point in her life she had dreamed of that moment, now it just seemed like a part of a different life. A feeling of peace washed over her again and she smiled. She gathered up her books and made her way back to the car. She tossed them inside and pulled out the spare set of clothing she had brought with her. She changed out of her sundress in the backseat of her car and into the jeans and T-shirt she brought along. She pulled on the hiking boots and locked her car.

There was a small cliff at the edge of the sea in Piraeus. Caroline was not one who liked hiking, even as a vampire, but she this small trail up the cliff she could handle. The view was well worth it. She could see the entirety of the port as well as watching the waves of the Mediterranean sea crash into the side of the cliff. She could feel the breeze on her face and smell the salt in the sea. It was liberating and by far one of Caroline's favorite sights. That feeling of peace came over her again. She felt as though home was lingering with her. It felt warm and safe. It felt like the Mystic Falls before everything went to hell.

In that moment she wanted to feel free and happy. She looked around to see if she was truly alone before kicking off the boots and slipping out of her jeans. She threw her shirt on the ground and looked down at the water below. She backed away and with her vampire speed, jumped off the cliff and landed into the water below. If she was human, it might have killed her but feeling the warm water engulf her body was perfect. The feeling of falling and letting go of the control she always craved was exhilarating. When she came to the surface, she quickly made her way to the shore. She flashed to get her clothes and went to the car. She had not originally planned on getting wet but Caroline was one who was always prepared. She kept towels in the trunk and quickly dried off and changed.

Her smile never faded the entire way back home.

*

The day had been utter shit. She had thought she was getting a good grasp on the Greek language but her professor practically told her she was a failure, or at least that is what Caroline heard him. Being told that she needed more work was the equivalent to failure in her book. Her shift at the cafe did not go well either. She waited on two older ladies who made it painfully obvious that wanted to make Caroline's shift difficult. They were challenging to the point that Caroline wanted to snap their necks; not to feed from them but to literally just dispose of them. She believed she would not regret it for one second and it took everything in her to hold herself back.

Once the day was over, Caroline could not be more pleased to be home. However, once she pulled into the small drive by her home, she was on edge. There was someone in her house and from the moment she opened the door the veins under her eyes were visible. She stalked her home until she recognized the scent. It was human and very familiar. The vampire features retracted and she spun around.

“Mom?!” She was in her mother's arms in a second. Liz held her daughter tightly and inhaled her scent. While she was happy that Caroline was out living her life, she missed her daughter. “What are you doing here?!” She was so focused on her mother that it took her several minutes to realize that she was not alone and that there was another person in the room. When the floor board creek, Caroline's head shot up and her eyes widened. “Jeremy?! What? How? You're-”

“Dead? Well, not any more.” He gave her that boyish smile that she forgot he had. For a moment she missed Elena and realized how her friend must have felt when her brother died and Caroline did not even bother to call her. Caroline pushed her guilt aside and her eyes darted between Liz and Jeremy.

“What is going on? How is Jeremy alive? Why is Jeremy in Greece?”

“Caroline, sweetie, something happened. I went back and forth between calling you and coming here. Since Jeremy cannot stay in Mystic Falls, I thought it would be best to just come here.” For a split second Caroline thought she was going to ask Jeremy to stay with her but pushed the thought away. “Jeremy, perhaps it is best if you do this.”

“I was dead. Bonnie did spell and brought me back.” His smile cracked then and his eyes grew sad. He opened his mouth to speak several times but it appeared that he could not get he words out. Suddenly Caroline began to dread what he was trying to say. She fixed him with a glare and reached for her mom, who laced her fingers through hers. “The spell was too much for her.”

Caroline felt as though a steak had been rammed through her heart. The heightened emotions felt as though her veins were on fire. Her heart shattered into a thousands pieces. There was a loud scream and it took a moment to realize that it was her voice. She had doubled over and her mother held her in her arms while Caroline cried. She begged, prayed and was willing to make any deal that was offered to her.

Bonnie was dead.

And Caroline never got to say goodbye.

She felt this nudge in the back of her mind and she knew that it was her switch. If she turned it off, then she would not feel Bonnie's loss. She would not have to mourn, she could go about her classes and live in Greece without any sort of guilt or misery. She would be truly be at peace and it would be so easy. However, she remembered Bonnie and how much she supported her leaving Mystic Falls. She thought about how much Bonnie distrusted vampires and the last thing she would want was for Caroline to become a mindless killer. Caroline was a killer, the boy at the bottom of the Baltic Sea could attest to that, but she wasn't mindless.

_But pushing the button would be so easy....._

When Caroline was able to calm herself, which had taken hours, she put her mom into the spare bedroom while she made her couch up for Jeremy. Part of her, the same part that wanted her to turn off her humanity, wanted to blame Jeremy. She wanted Jeremy to still be dead and her best friend still to be alive. She did not want Bonnie to be dead but wanted her alive so she could show her the world. She didn't want Bonnie to die in Mystic Falls....and that is exactly what happened.

She then sat in silence while her mom just talked with her. After a few hours, Liz and Jeremey both decided that they were exhausted from their travels and went to bed. They were not staying long, no more than a day or two. Liz just thought it would be best for Caroline to learn of Bonnie's death in person. Not wanting to think on Bonnie or anything related to her, Caroline did the one thing she knew best.

She cleaned.

She tore her entire kitchen apart, cleaning every surface that she could touch. It took three hours and it wasn't until she was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor, that Jeremy stopped her. Apparently the clanking of pots and pants made it difficult for sleeping. He just sat down on the floor beside her and she pulled off her yellow rubber gloves off of her hands. The two of them just sat back and looked at one another.

“You didn't answer my question earlier. Why did you come? I mean, I know why mom did but you and I have never been close...” Caroline said. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Jeremy gave her an easy smile. Caroline always saw him as Elena's little brother and then eventually Bonnie's boyfriend. However, when Jeremy kissed Anna and broke Bonnie's heart, Caroline made a point to talk to him as little as possible. “The truth is I can't stay in Mystic Falls. Everyone believes I am dead, so I left. Elena wanted me to stay but she plans on going to Whitmore so I would have to stay with Damon since Elena burnt our house down.”

“What?! When?!”

“When her humanity was off.”

“Seriously!?” Caroline rolled her eyes but said nothing, the idea of turning off her humanity was still lingering in the back of her mind. “A little over dramatic but whatever. So you decided to just, hang out in Greece for awhile?”

“I still have family in Denver. I plan on finishing school there and maybe try and live a normal life.”

“So Greece is a very out of the way pitstop?”

“No.” Jeremy sighed and looked at his hands. There was something he wanted to say and Caroline tried to be patient. She bit her lip and her nails dug into her palm; itching to just tell Jeremy to confess whatever it was he needed to say. “When Bonnie brought me back, it did not take away be ability to see the dead.”

“What?” Caroline's heart stopped and her breath halted. Her blue eyes were wide and she just looked at Jeremy. It all made sense now, why Jeremy of all people, someone she had never been close with, would make a trip to Greece. “Is she here now?”

“No. I haven't spoken to her in days.” Caroline asked if she had found peace because if she had, then at least she knew her best friend was happy somewhere. “No. I don't think so. I will see glimpses of her but then she vanishes.” He paused again. “I think she is running from something on the other side but I do not know what. She won't say.”

“Bonnie.” Caroline gave a strangled cry.

“She had a message for you, which is why I am here.” The tears where gushing down her face and she leaned her back against the cupboard door. “She said that she was with you when you jumped off the cliff.” That caused Caroline to laugh and she remembered the moments of peace that had come over her; it had been Bonnie. “She had never seen you as happy as you were in that moment. She wants you to hold onto that happiness for as long as possible; even if it means being selfish from time to time. Thats it really. Oh, and she asked that you not come back to Mystic Falls, at least for a long time...not even to mourn her.”

“God I miss her.”

“She missed you too but she understood you know.” Jeremy replied. “When you first left and Elena was loosing her mind over where you were, Bonnie defended you. She was actually really angry at Elena for a time. They fought constantly over the fact she refused to do a location spell. Elena of course did not like that I agreed with Bonnie. Anyway, she tracked down Tyler and gave him hell.” Caroline smiled at that.

“I'm sorry that Bonnie and Elena fought over me.” It hurt that Elena could not see why Caroline needed to leave. Bonnie supported her and the fact that she was now dead tore at her humanity. She knew that one day she would loose the people she loved, the downside to immortality, but she never thought it would be so soon. She raised her hand and wiped away her tears that were still falling down her cheeks. “That was never my intention.”

“Elena can be selfish.” Jeremy stated and Caroline cocked a eyebrow at him. “She is my sister and I love her but I know how she is. Elena cannot see past her own dramas. She cares about everyone around her but forgets that not everyone would make the same decision she would. You leaving was something she could not understand because it is not something she would have done. Bonnie had a message for her too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I won't get into the details but it mainly consisted of, she needed to pick the man who made her happy, even if it was Damon and that she loved her.” Caroline said nothing, not agreeing with Bonnie's assessment of Elena's relationship status but Caroline could at least admit she was bias in that regard. “She also said that she needed to let you go and accept that you were not coming back.”

Jeremy patted her knee for a second and stood; leaving Caroline on the kitchen floor with her rubber gloves and dirty kitchen water. She did not want to clean anymore. She did not want to do anything but curl up in her bed and cry. Without even emptying the bucket full of watcher, Caroline leave the kitchen and heads to her bedroom. She pulls out her phone, scrolls through it and waits for Bonnie's voice to appear.

_I spoke with your mom. She told me about Tyler. I'm so sorry. If it makes you feel better, I gave him a witchy headache....and punched him for you. Take all the time you need. Call me when you can._

*

Liz and Jeremy stayed for a few days longer than they originally planned. Liz promised to see Jeremy off to Denver safely and planned on returning to Mystic Falls. Caroline promised that she would be fine on her own and saw them off to the airport. Despite jumping back into her class and work, the nagging thought in the back of her mind kept telling her to just turn it off. She could not stop thinking about Bonnie and listening to her voice message. Hearing her voice and remembering that she would never hear anything but those words spoken again nagged at her.

She felt lonely. While she understood that her mom could not stay, it still hurt to say goodbye to her. Once again she considered going back to Mystic Falls but remembering Bonnie's request that she stay away for a good while, she held back. She loved Athens and she loved the life she was building for herself. She knew that turning off her emotions would just ruin that. She also was unsure if she could live with the damage she would cause once her emotions were back on. Not sure she could handle thinking of Bonnie anymore, Caroline reached for her phone.

“Hello Sweetheart.”

“Klaus?” 

“Caroline? What is wrong?” After months of speaking to him on the phone, Caroline could tell his voices apart. There was the angry voice, the sad voice, the happy voice, the artistic voice, and this voice; the worried voice. That voice was only used toward the people Klaus truly cared for. Despite her misery, she could not help but feel pleased with his concern.

“Bonnie is dead.” The words came out in a muffled sob.

“I'm sorry love.” She knew he wasn't. She knew him well enough to know that he did not care for Bonnie or anyone of her friends in Mystic Falls. However, she knew that Klaus hated to hear her upset or anything besides happy. He was sorry that she was hurting and Caroline accepted that fact. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No.” She sobbed again. “It hurts Klaus. I just want to make it stop hurting.”

“Caroline...”

“I want to turn it off.”

“Don't you dare. Caroline, what ever you do, you stay with me.” His voice grew soft. Caroline wondered if Klaus ever turned off his emotions. In a thousand years he had to at least once, right? When she learned that Elena had turned off her emotions, granted it was Damon's doing, but she had thought it was the weak thing to do. In this moment, mourning Bonnie, she never felt weaker. “I will do whatever it is you ask of me; just don't leave.”

The desperation in his voice struck a cord with Caroline. She knew he cared for her but in that moment, hearing the devastation at the idea that she would turn off her light made her realize that this was not just a passing infatuation with her. He was putting her first and she really did not know how to interrupt that. Part of her was pleased to know that there was someone in the world who put her first, after years of always being the last choice. The desire to be _wanted_ and not just _needed_ was high for Caroline.

“I don't want to be alone.” She whispered. These past few months Caroline reveled in being alone but in this moment she wanted nothing more than to have him here. She was not ready for the forever that she knew he would promise her. Maybe one day she would show up on his doorstep, but that was a long ways away. He had been her sounding board for months and now she needed more than just his voice. “Please come.”

“I'll be there in seven hours. Caroline, do not turn it off. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you.” Caroline paused before speaking again. “Where are you?”

“Romania.” Klaus replied before disconnecting the call.

It was eight and a half hours before Klaus was knocking on her door. She opened the door and he looked haggard. His hair was mussed and his eyes looked sagged. He was dressed in a coat that clearly was designed for colder weather. Either way, Caroline was extremely happy to see him. Cold as it may sound to say, she was happier to see him than she was her own mother. Liz came to Greece to deliver a message, Klaus came for the sole purpose to comfort her.

“You're here.” Caroline stepped aside and allowed him to step over the threshold. Seeing that no human lived there, he did not need an invitation.

“I would have been here sooner but I hit some traffic.” He turned to look at Caroline and saw how red her eyes were. She clearly had been crying the entire eight hours that he was racing south towards her. Her hair was mushed and she was still in sweats. Klaus could not remember a time she looked so disheveled and just sad. Even when she came to him after Tyler had cheated on her, she did not look so defeated. “How are you?”

“Bonnie's dead.” It came out in sobs and Klaus brought her into his arms. He held her to his chest and scooped her up into his arms. He sat down on his couch and rocked her bath and forth. He kissed the top of her head and he just let her cry. Even with Liz and Jeremy there to tell her about Bonnie, besides the initial moment of grief, Caroline focused on being the perfect hostess. However, feeling Klaus just hold her was more than enough at the moment.

“I'm so sorry love. If there was a way for me to bring her back, just to stop the tears, I would.” And Caroline believed him. If she commanded a way for him to raise the dead, he would try. However, the last time she checked, Klaus was not a witch and after the fiasco of breaking his curse, witches were not exactly fond of him. He continued to rock her until the tears subsided. “Do you feel better?”

“Yeah.” Her breathing evened out and she rested her heads against his shoulder. She inhaled deeply and furred her brow. She sniffed him again and groaned. “Klaus, why do you smell like blood?” Before he could even respond, she remembered the fact that he had said he was in Romania. She pulled away and looked at him. “Seriously?!”

“They bit you.”

“Did you leave any of them alive?”

“Only the ones who did not participate in the hunt.” She narrowed her eyes but couldn't help but laugh. After everything, Klaus slaughtering a werewolf pack just felt normal. Bonnie was dead but Klaus was still his murdering self and that was comforting. So Caroline laughed. She laughed so hard that she held onto her stomach and laughed until her lungs hurt. Klaus looked at her bewildered and when she calmed down, he smirked at her. “And here I thought I was going to be met with reproach.”

“Well lets just say, I was less than fond of them.” Klaus agreed and let her go when Caroline got up. She reached for her phone, sent a quick text. Klaus sat there waiting for more of a reprimand but it didn't come. Instead she just continued to tap on her phone. “The smell of blood is making me hungry.”

“Ordering take-away?”

“Kind of.” Klaus raised an eyebrow at her. “There is a girl in my art history class that is annoying. So, I compelled her to give me blood whenever I need it.” Klaus's smirked grew wide and there was almost a look of pride on his features. “Oh, don't look at me like that. I will have you know that blood bags are hard to come by and she is very annoying. Its not like I am going to kill her and she is never in pain. She actually finds it pleasant.”

“I'm sure she does Sweetheart.” His tone reminded her of how her father used to speak to her when he was humoring her. She just shot him a dirty look but his amusement continued on his face; but their was something else. Pride. Klaus was proud of her and she did not know what to make of that.

*

The days passed and Klaus continued to stay in Greece. It was an unwritten rule that he would not be there forever and would eventually head back to New Orleans. Neither spoke of it but it was obvious how Klaus never unpacked his bag or when he spoke to Elijah and used the phrase “when I return.” Caroline was not ready to mourn Bonnie alone but beyond the comfort of a friend, they both knew that she was not ready for anything more longer term.

The first two days Klaus held her as she cried. He was not the best when it came to comfort but he made an honest effort. On the third day, Klaus picked up one of her text books and told her to study. He told her that she needed to continue on living her life, even if she was still mourning.

“When your father died, what did you do?”

“I kept moving.”

“And you need to do that now.” Klaus replied, pushing a blond curl from her face. “Bonnie would want you to keep moving Caroline. Death, mourning does not go away in a week. If you waited for your grief to pass, then you will waste the eternity that has been given to you. Grief does not go away, you just learn to live with it.”

And that is exactly what Caroline did. She threw herself into school, work, and enjoying her time with Klaus. She was unsure what exactly he did while she was out but it was enough to spend her evenings with him. She showed him her favorite spots in Greece, even that cliff she jumped off of with Bonnie by her side. In return, Klaus told her the history and about how he spent part of the late 1200s in parts of Athens. They had picnics at the port and even took a boat out to one of the islands in the mediterranean sea. She let herself live and just enjoy the less blood thirsty side of Klaus. But most importantly, when she had to take a moment, when the memory of Bonnie became too much, Klaus let her mourn; and when her heightened emotions became to much, he talked her down from the ledge.

“In a thousand years, I've never turned it off Caroline. If I make it through a thousand years of pain, then you certainly can.”

“Why?”

“Because you're far stronger than I ever could be.” Caroline could tell that he meant that. It took her aback because Klaus fought to be the strongest person in the entire world. To hear him say that there was something out there stronger than him, and it was her was shattering. Those few days with him broke down more walls than she could have expected and it helped her heal. “Its why I fancy you.”

By the end of the second week of Klaus's visit, something unexpected happened. The two were lying on a blanket in her backyard and Caroline had her head resting in Klaus's lap while she read and he sketched her. Caroline refrained from telling him how creepy that was. They were just enjoying the summer sun when a figure blocked the rays completely.

“Well isn't this nauseatingly sweet.” Squinting her eyes, Caroline could make out the figure of Rebekah. She tensed and narrowed her eyes. Klaus hissed slightly and she remembered that the two of them were not exactly on speaking terms. “When Elijah stated that you were taking a vacation, I did not expect to find you here.”

“And what are you doing here Rebekah.”

“We came to see Caroline.” A male voice chimed in and Caroline whipped her head around. Matt stood there, with sun glasses on and his hand in his pockets. He wore an easy smile and Caroline forgot how easy it was to adore Matt. She jumped up and hugged him. “Nice to see you too Care.”

“What-”

“You mom gave me your address. She said she was worried about you, what with Bonnie and all, and asked that I check up you.” Matt's eyes shifted towards Klaus but he did not seem upset or judgmental. “By the looks of it, you seem to be doing okay.”

“I'm doing alright. Sad but better than I was.”

“Yes yes, you look pretty and perfect just like you did before you ran away from home.” Rebekah snapped. “Matt and I are taking your spare room.” Rebekah turned and headed toward her small house before Klaus or Caroline could stop her. Although, if they all were honest with themselves, no one could stop Rebekah when she really wanted something. And just like that Caroline found herself playing host to two unexpected houseguest. The only thing she could hope was that both Klaus and Rebekah could keep their tempers down for the remainder of their visits.

They lasted one hour.

“Give them hell little sister! I thought you were dead and instead of helping your only sister out, you left me to be taken by those idiotic humans!” Rebekah screamed, her blonde hair flying around rapidly and her eyes flashing.

“You've always liked to remind us how capable you are and the moment we let you fend for yourself you throw a tantrum.” Klaus said with a hiss. Both Caroline's and Matt's eyes were darting between the two Originals. She was torn between making popcorn and grabbing alcohol in order to watch the show. However, Caroline could tell that they would be at it for awhile so she grabbed Matt's elbow and led him outside. They sat on a pair of chairs she had on her very small patio. The last thing they heard was Rebekah screaming about Klaus being a narcissistic wanker.

“It's good to see you Matt.” Caroline was greeted with his easy smile. She could see why human Caroline had fallen for him. Despite the fact that she saw nothing more than friendship with him now, she still cared for him and she knew that he cared for her as well.

“You too. Your mom asked me to check in when she heard that Rebekah and I were planning this trip.” Matt chuckled. “Everyone was shocked when you left town. You mom said that you graduated early and Stefan compelled the school board to believe it as well.” That shocked her. Her mother said nothing about spreading that she had graduated early. “Of course Elena and Tyler didn't take you leaving well.”

“Elena has made her anger very clear. She has not spoken to me in months.” She looked down at her hands; not wanting to think of Tyler.

“She is angry you've been talking to Klaus.” Caroline's eyes went wide, not realizing that anyone back at Mystic Falls had known. “Tyler told everyone about the conversation you had with him...on Klaus's phone.” Of course Tyler did. Matt however, did not seem angry with her or disappointed; but then again, that was Matt. “Tyler went looking for you.”

“What!?”

“Yeah. He thought he could convince you to forgive him and come back to Mystic Falls.” Caroline snorted. “I told him it was a lost cause and that he messed up. He asked your mom where you were and she all but slammed the door in his face. Both Elena and Tyler tried to get Bonnie to do a locator spell but she continued to refuse. So, he left. He went to Paris thinking that was were you would go. When he couldn't find you, he came back.”

“Well he searched hard.” The sarcastic tone had Matt nodding his head in agreement. “Either way, I am trying to get Tyler out of my system. I am happy that I left Mystic Falls. I'm sad about Bonnie but I am moving on with my life.”

“With Klaus?”

“No. I mean. He is apart of it.” She smiled shyly. “We're friends. He helped me when I left Mystic Falls and when I learned about Bonnie he came to keep me from shutting off my emotions. I know you all hate him but no longer being home just makes me see things more clearly. He is no more evil than I am. Just older.”

“I don't like him but he is no worse than Damon and I really hate that guy.” Caroline snorted again. She knew that Matt had as much right to hate Damon as she did. He was the reason Vicki was dead and he never even apologized for it. He just continued on with is life as though he had done nothing wrong. At least with Jenna, her death had a purpose. It wasn't great but at least Klaus acknowledged that he killed her. Damon couldn't even spare Vicki that courtesy.

“You and me both.” Suddenly something that sounded like glass broke inside the house. Caroline whipped around in her chair and narrowed her eyes. “Whatever the two of you break in your ridiculous family feud, you're replacing!” She leaned back and laughed. “Rebekah?” Matt just shrugged

“She grows on you.”

*

Despite Caroline's reservations about having both Klaus and Rebekah as houseguest at the same time; _or Rebekah at all;_ after their initial blow out, the siblings seemed to have repaired their relationship. Their moods shifting from one end of the spectrum to the other gave both Matt and Caroline whip flash. Especially since it was unknown the length of Matt and Rebekah's visit.

Rebekah and Matt shared her spare room and Caroline refused to even think about what they got up to. Thankfully Rebekah had the forethought to bring sage with her. Klaus had offered to take the sofa but she refused him. During the night the two of them would lie in her bed and shared stories. It was comforting and intimate; an intimacy that she never shared with Tyler. It scared her and she knew she was not ready for it on a long term bases but for the moment it was nice.

While Caroline continued on with her schooling and work, Rebekah and Matt explored Greece; visiting all the places that she had went to when she first arrived. Klaus continued to do whatever Klaus did, Caroline assumed it had to do with something with art because he always smelled like fresh paint when she came home. The four would dine together; Klaus and Caroline listening to the adventures that Rebekah and Matt found themselves in. On a night two weeks after Matt and Rebekah's arrival, the four of them decided to eat at one of the local restaurants that specialized in popular greek dishes.

“I must say Nik, you have made such a stir. A contact of mine said you were recently in Romania?” Rebekah smirked at him as she raised her wine to her lips. “Was it really necessary to massacre the largest werewolf pack in Eastern Europe?”

“Wait? You said you only killed those her participated in the hunt?!” Caroline said.

“I did. It just happened to be the entire pack.” Klaus seemed smug and Caroline wanted nothing more than to rub that smirk right off of his lips. Yet, she knew it would do no good. Klaus did not regret his actions and he killed the pack because they harmed her. Instead she just glared at him and shook her head.

“Not only that but he went in the disguise of searching for you and now the rest of the supernatural world is wondering who this Caroline is and what she means to the original hybrid.” Rebekah added, seeming to enjoy this way to much. It appeared that Klaus did not bring home many girlfriends in the past and Rebekah was sucking up the experience.

“Seriously! Why not pain my name with their blood why don't you?”

“Sweetheart, that would be a bit dramatic. Don't you think?” Klaus chuckled and Caroline let out a loud groan, calling Klaus a rather unflattering name which made the surrounding tables look up. Klaus leaned over to whisper in her head. “Easy love, you're making a scene.” That only made Caroline stick her at him and he just laughed; his dimples pronounced as his lips curled upward. “Besides, they bit you. I could not leave that transgression go. It would make me appear weak.”

“Yes this was all about serving your ego.” Caroline snapped.

“Wait, you were bit?” Matt asked, alarm written in every inch of his tone. Klaus didn't acknowledge his comment but then Klaus hardly acknowledge Matt at all during their visit. Caroline was rather impressed with his ability to do so if she was being honest.

“Look at her, she is fine.” Rebekah replied, waving her hand at her. Caroline could tell that she did not like the idea of her getting any ounce of Matt's attention. While she and Rebekah have found common ground and at the very least mutual respect, Rebekah still had a petty side to her that Caroline detested. Mainly because it reminded her to the girl she was before Katherine smothered her with a pillow.

“I was in Romania and I got pulled into a werewolf hunt. This one,” Caroline pointed at Klaus, “provided me with some blood before I left so I was fine.”

“Oh.” She could see the thousand questions passing through Matt's mind. His eyes trailed over Caroline in concern and nodded. “Cool.”

Matt was really a kind and simple man.

After dinner, Matt and Rebekah went off on their own for the night. Normally the four would retire to Caroline's home to enjoy night but the two wanted to enjoy some of Athens nightlife. While Caroline went a few times, she found that after Russia she felt no need to party. She was enjoying the quite and routine for the moment. That and she suspected that Klas asked Rebekah to let him have Caroline for himself for the night; and by suspected Caroline meant that Matt told her so.

They laid a blanket out in her back yard and Caroline listened to Klaus point out all the stars. He told her that in a changing world, this was the only thing that remained the same from the time he was a human; at least from what he could see. Caroline found that thought beautiful; that there would be something, hundreds of years from now, that she could hang onto to something that would remind her of this time.

“I'm leaving tomorrow.” Klaus whispered after a long moment of silence; running his fingers through her blond curls as she rested her head against his chest.

“I know.” She had figured it out the moment Matt spilled the beans about Klaus wanting Caroline to himself. She was saddened and upset but she knew it was coming. Thinking of Bonnie still hurt but she was not in danger of turning off her emotions anymore. Klaus knew that. He also know that she needed to survive on her own and not rely on him; at least until she told him otherwise. “But I'll see you again.”

“All you have to do is ask, Sweetheart, and I'll come to wherever you are.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. When his lips pulled away, Caroline turned over and propped her head up against her hand. She peered down at him with a small smile. “Unless you show up on my doorstep first.”

“Maybe one day.” He chucked at that. “Or maybe I will drag you to Paris, Rome...or Tokyo.” The ball where they first dance was a night to remember for her. Despite her being angry with him that night, it still held a place in her heart. “I'm just not ready. Once I can move on from Tyler completely, you'll know.”

“He was your first love, I intend to be your last.” She smiled at him. She reached down and pushed a curl from his eyes; looking onto his gaze. He wetted his lips and she couldn't help but look down that them.

“I'm not ready for eternity.” She brought her face inches away from his. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as she lowered her lips to his ear. “But I'm ready for right now.” In a flash, Klaus gripped her hips and pushed her onto the blanket; her hair standing out against the dark blue color of the blanket. He placed his hands on the side of her face, tracing her cheekbones.

“Tell me to stop Caroline and I will.” Instead of responding with words, Caroline just leaned up and kissed him. It startled out gently; as though Klaus could not believe that it was Caroline's lips pressed against his. Once he realized that he was not dreaming, he deepened the kiss, pushing every ounce of passion he had into her.

Caroline wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed herself to him. She weaved her fingers through his curls, her nails scraping his scalp, causing him to moan into her lips. Her legs opened and Klaus settled between them easily. She lifted her hips slightly to grind against him and she could feel the bulge growing in his jeans.

Klaus's fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and made his way up her soft skin. She could feel the light trail his finger's left behind as they moved upwards. Their lips remained entangled with one another until Klaus pulled down the top of her bran and pinched her nipple. Caroline tossed her head back and gave out a gasp. He pulled and tugged for a moment before sitting on his knees. He pulled his shirt off and Caroline followed suit, tossing hers to land somewhere in the grass; her bra shortly to follow. She laid down again and Klaus just took in the sight of her being naked from the waist up.

“Beautiful.” His pressed his lips against her collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses against her skin. He kissed the valley between her breast before latching onto her one of her nipples. Caroline hissed in pleasure and arched her back. He chuckled against her skin, his teeth lightly grazing the side of her breast. “Say my name Caroline. I want to hear you say my name.”

“Please.”

“Please what, Caroline? Who are you asking?”

“Klaus please. More.”

Hearing her beg, Klaus moved his lips down her flat stomach until he reached the top of her short shorts. He popped open the top of the shorts and pulled down the zipper excruciatingly slow. She lifted her hips and pulled them off her hips, tossing them towards the rest of her clothes. Klaus eyed the white lace panties that she was wearing and slowly pulled them down her legs. Once she was completely naked, he couldn't help but admire her.

“Aphrodite was never as lovely as you.” He settled between her legs and kissed the side of her thigh. Caroline could feel this hot breath but it was not were she wanted it to be. “I will be sketching this a thousand times, never able to capture the beauty of this moment.” His eyes flickered up to hers. “Not to worry love, for my eyes only.” With that Klaus took one long lick up her slit. Caroline's eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her hips grounded against his lips. His tongue circled her clit, causing her to cry out his name.

“Klaus! Please.”

“Louder.” The vibrations of his voice sent a thrill up her body. His teeth bit on her clit gently and he inserted two of his fingers inside of her, curling them against her g-spot. She cried out his name against but it just wasn't loud enough. He pulled his fingers out before thrusting them inside again. “I want all of Athens to hear you scream my name. Louder Caroline.”

So she did, she screamed his name until the back of her throat hurt. She knew she was going to have to compel this memory away from her neighbors in the morning but she couldn't find it in her mind to be embarrassed. The feel of Klaus's lips nipping, licking and sucking at her clit was worth it. She weaved her fingers through his hair once against, guiding his motions to what she enjoyed. His fingers thrusted, curled and scratched at her inner walls had that tight feeling building inside of her stomach. Soon, a cord snapped inside of her and release coursed through her entire body.

Klaus kissed her clit one last time and moved his lips to the inside of her thigh while his fingers slowed down their thrusts. She smirked and tugged on his hair; bringing him up her body. She latched her lips onto his and she could taste herself on him. She reached down and undid the button on his jeans. She pushed them down along with his boxers and reached to touch him. However, Klaus took her wrist and shook his head.

“Not tonight Sweetheart.” He kissed her lips and aligned himself with her entrance. “Maybe one day but for tonight, I want to feel what it is like to be inside you.” With that, Klaus pushed himself inside of her, filling her in one go. He stilled, feeling the heat of her surrounding him. She was tight and warm and perfect.

“Klaus. Move.” He obeyed, he withdrew and thrusted himself back inside. His pace was slow at first, drawing out the pleasure. Caroline rose her hips to meet his thrusts and soon enough, they began to pick up speed. Both moaned and cried out the other's name but some of what left their lips were not eligible. Some of the things Klaus said were not even in English. Caroline thought she would have to learn every language she could to just understand what he said to her.

Klaus buried his hand in her neck and Caroline arched her body, pressing herself as close to him as she could. When she opened her eyes, while all she could feel was Klaus's body, she could still see the stars above. In the moment of letting Klaus finally have her, she would never be able to look at the night sky and not think of him. As the thought crossed her mind, her insides snapped again and she saw a different type of stars. A few thrusts later, Klaus followed suit.

In the aftermath they just laid on the blanket, staring up at the night sky with their hands linked. Neither of them spoke but they did not have to. They knew exactly where things stood between the two of them. There was no commitment but the promise of one day there might be. They dressed, making themselves presentable for when Matt and Rebekah would inevitably come back to the house.

The next morning, Caroline drove Klaus to the airport.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Klaus and Caroline had sex. Finally. But just not ready for "lasts loves" just yet. 
> 
> We have reached the end of season four and I am pretty much giving the middle fingers to the rest to the TVD/TO plot lines from the show. I am going to continue cherry picking some of the things I liked and just cutting parts that I hate.


	5. Honolulu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, FYI this chapter happens after a time jump...about five years.

**Honolulu, Hawaii**

In the two years that Caroline lived in Hawaii, she could not believe that it was coming to an end. Once she finished her undergraduate decree in linguistics she decided that she wanted to study even further. Caroline, ever the overachiever, found that she fell in love with the Greek language and wanted to learn more; but also to not just to lean to speak and understand the language, but the poetry and meaning behind everything the written word held. In the seven years Caroline has been studying, she learned to speak not only Greek but all the romance languages; _once she learned one it was easy to pick up the rest_ , Japanese and Mandarin. She was currently working on Hindi and dabbling in Hebrew.

It was a skill she was damn proud of, _thank you very much._

She was not the only one who was proud of her acquired skills. Klaus was always amused when she would answer the phone in some foreign language. There were times he refused to speak to her at all in English. They would spend hours upon hours discussing anything in any of the languages she knew. Once she completed her degree and expressed interest in finding a graduate program to expand her knowledge, Klaus sent her several brochures to universities he thought she might be interested in. While there was one for New Orleans, the university in Honolulu caught her eye and she never looked back. She kept her house in Athens, leasing it out and collecting the rent as a form of income with the idea that she could always go back one day if she so desired.

“I'm going to miss this. The feel of the sun on my skin.” Caroline turned towards the voice beside her and tilted her sunglasses to get a better look at her. It amazed her the friendship she developed, _or that was forced upon her_ with Rebekah. Once Rebekah had left Caroline's home in Greece with Matt, Caroline thought it would be a long while before she saw the only female original again.

Boy was she wrong.

About six months after Rebekah dropped Matt off in Mystic Falls and joined her brothers in New Orleans, she had a fight with Klaus of epic proportions. Caroline spent hours on the phone listening to Klaus vent about it. Apparently Rebekah had summoned Mikael a hundred years ago to kill Klaus and he just learned about it. Klaus all but threw Rebekah out of his city and she turned up on Caroline's doorstep claiming she had no where else to go. She moved into the spare bedroom and enrolled into the same university that Caroline went to as a history major; _which Caroline thought was a cop out_.

Klaus and Rebekah have since mended fences but Caroline was just waiting for the next time the two got into some feud. It was bound to happen. Caroline may or may not have made a chart with her predictions on it.

Either way, Rebekah became a friend that Caroline thought she would never have and one that she probably needed the most. Rebekah told her when she was being ridiculous a bit too neurotic for everyones sanity and Caroline told Rebekah when she was being a bratty bitch. They just worked and when Caroline announced she was moving to Hawaii, Rebekah followed suit proclaiming that she was buying a beachfront house. Caroline agreed, mainly because of the fact that she had no choice and the idea of living on the beach sounded epic. She refused to admit that she would miss Rebekah's company. Neither girl was willing to acknowledge the friendship they had or what it meant to them.

“You can always stay you know.” Caroline replied, lying back on her beach chair and soaked up the rays of the sun. If she was being honest, Caroline would miss the easy access to the ocean. She enjoyed the private beach they had as their backyard and how often she would step outside to put her toes in the pacific.

“No. I'm due back in New Orleans.” Rebekah replied as though it was some medieval family duty she was subjugating herself too. Caroline remembered when she called Klaus to inform him that Rebekah turned up on her doorstep, she couldn't help but hear the relief in his voice at the knowledge of his little sister's whereabouts. The storm of their fight blew over but Rebekah had not been back since and Caroline knew it had to do with Marcel. Rebekah's love life was confusing as hell. At least when Caroline was friends with Elena, all she had to keep track of was which Salvator brother she was sleeping with when.

“Who is all coming again?” They were days away from graduation and Caroline was unsure who was looking towards it more, her or Rebekah. She knew that this was the first time that Rebekah actually did something without the help of her brothers and she was really proud of that. Which she should be; even if her degree was a cop out.

“Klaus, Elijah and Freya.”

“Freya is coming?” Caroline asked referring to the magical sister that blew into the Mikelsons' lives three years previously. Once the drama of her return subsisted, and Klaus murdered their aunt, Freya made a trip to Greece to meet her sister, with Klaus in toe; which everyone knew was just an excuse to see Caroline. It only confirmed to her that they were the most dysfunctional family in all of history. When the knowledge that Freya was alive _(and really was in fact their sister-there had been some doubt at first)_ and had not died of the plague but instead had been sold by their mother to their psycho aunt, the Mikaelson siblings were justifiably pissed. Klaus stated that he wished that their mother was alive just so he could kill her for a third time.

_They seriously were the definition of dysfunction._

“Yes. She said she wouldn't miss it for the world. She is even taking a break from some project she is working on.”

“How sweet. What project?”

“Who knows. She is being tight lipped about it. Even Elijah can't get it out of her.” That was shocking to Caroline. She did not know Elijah well but between what Klaus and Rebekah said, Caroline figured that if anyone could figure out what Freya is up to, it would be him. “Ever since she came to us, she has been jetting off to all sorts of places doing weird things. It's rude.” That made Caroline roll her eyes.

“She spent a thousand years practically in a magic induced coma, can you blame her?” Caroline knew that Rebekah wanted Freya to move in with Caroline and herself but Freya declined. The witch was standoffish and had hard edges, which compared to her siblings was an impressive feat. Caroline liked Freya well enough and Rebekah talked to her sister often; more often than any of her brothers. Seeing that the siblings were obnoxiously close, that was an insane amount of time she spent on the phone with Freya. “It nice that Freya, Elijah and Klaus are coming to see you graduate though.”

“Elijah and Freya are coming to see me graduate. Klaus is coming to see you.” Rebekah said with a raised eyebrow and Caroline could not exactly contradict her. Ever since the night they spent together in Athens, the two have developed an odd sort of friendship. Caroline would not use the term _fuck buddies,_ because it was more than that. Yes, they would sleep together whenever he visited but there was no commitment between them. Caroline still had a few flings with both men and women, nothing serious, and enjoyed the full college experience. She also knew that Klaus had his fair share of lovers as well. A witch named Genevieve that he had a thing with for a bit stood out. Although that ended spectacularly awful; which Caroline translated to Klaus murdering her in cold blood for some betrayal. Then there was that human bartender he was playing like a fiddle to get back at Marcel. She was also dead but unlike Genevieve, it wasn't by Klaus's hands.

_Its a bitch being a pawn._ Caroline thought.

“He is proud of you. He told me so.” A fact that Caroline was completely honest about. While Klaus's visits were few and far between, their conversations were not. She spoke to him on an almost daily basis and it amazed her how open he could be with her. Granted, it probably had something to do with the fact that she was states and an ocean away but she would take what she could get. The trust they had did not happen over night but instead took years to get to this point. The process was slightly exhausting if she was going to be honest with herself.

“Wish he would tell me that.” Rebekah muttered. Before Caroline could tell her to stop pouting the two vampires heard their names being called. They turned and saw Stefan walking towards them. The reappearance of Stefan in her life was unexpected but not necessarily unwelcome. Caroline literally woke up one morning, made coffee and Stefan came strolling out of Rebekah's bedroom as though he had been there all along. He muttered a “good morning” all the while Caroline's coffee mug was overflowing in shock. Stefan moved into the spare room, despite sharing Rebekah's bed on an occasion and “transferred his credits” to the same university. Both Rebekah and Caroline agreed that Stefan left Mystic Falls to get away from watching Damon and Elena fawn all over each other. Stefan and Rebekah picked up on their no strings attached sex life and would even play wing man/woman for each other on occasion.

_Again, Rebekah's love life confused the hell out of Caroline._

“What is it?”

“The two of you are being summoned. Dinner is ready.” Caroline smiled widely and quickly stood from her chair. Rebekah sighed and followed suit. Stefan helped the girls clean up their belongings and headed inside the beach-house. The smell of spices, cilantro and limes reached her nose and she could not help but smile. At the stove she saw her mother cooking and Caroline could not help but feel happy that her mother had come to see the ceremony. While Liz may have lived off of take-out and easy meals, she did know how to cook a few meals. Tacos was one thing she did well and Caroline always loved it when Liz would do a taco bar for the nights Elena and Bonnie would sleep over at their house. However, Liz never had a blender of delicious alcoholic beverages going at those sleepovers.

“Margaritas? Who are you and what have you done with my mother?” Caroline teased but secretly was pleased that her mother was willingly handing her a glass lined with salt. Caroline could even smell the tequila; making her realize that her mother had been young once and it was a distributing thought.

“You're twenty-six and about to get your masters degree, you deserve this.” Liz smirked. “And I'm off the clock.” That caused Stefan to snort in a way that didn't seem to suit him. Rebekah plucked her glass easily from Liz's glass.

“Appreciate it Caroline.” Rebekah replied in the high and mighty tone Caroline was used to hearing from her. “My mother would have gifted me with a hex and a curse that was aimed to kill. Margaritas are a far better gift.” Caroline and Liz just shared a smile while the younger of the two just rolled her eyes. “How long do you plan on staying Liz?”

“Just until after the ceremony. I'm thankful for Stefan allowing me to use his room but I'm sure that he would like his bed back.”

“Oh, I don't know. I think he is enjoying Rebekah's just fine.” Caroline tossed them her best “Miss Mystic Fall's” smile as she said it. Stefan responded by flicking a piece of lettuce at her; to which Caroline laughed at. Stefan had been sharing Rebekah's bed for the past week since Liz had been visiting and Liz made no comment about it; taking the stance that Caroline was an adult who happened to live with two vampires who were twice the age of Liz herself. They could do as they pleased. Plus it was not her daughter the one having the sex under her nose so she could care less.

“Of course he doesn't mind. My bed is far more...comfortable.” Rebekah replied in a scandalizing tone and Stefan did everything he could to avoid Liz's much amused gaze. Caroline decided to mime vomiting in order to convey what she thought of Stefan and Rebekah's sex life.

_Because it still confused the hell out of her._

“So Rebekah,” Liz chimed in, clearly trying to change the subject. “What are your plans once graduation is over?”

“I'm heading back to New Orleans to spend time with the family.” Rebekah replied. “I was looking at Tulane and thinking about teaching.” Both Caroline and Stefan looked with one another, hoping that Rebekah didn't see their doubtful glances. If there was one thing Rebekah would be awful at, it would be teaching anything in any form. Caroline could see Rebekah becoming the most hated professor of all time and/or massacring her students if they added to many footnotes....or not enough depending upon her mood.

“Well, teaching is an honorable profession.” Liz's diplomatic reply told Caroline that her mother thought the same thing. “What about you Stefan? Planning on heading to New Orleans as well?”

“No. I actually applied to Harvard Law.” Caroline inhaled her margarita too deeply at that comment and started coughing. Rebekah patted her back a bit to hard and narrowed her eyes at Stefan. “I got in. My LSAT scores impressed them.”

“You didn't tell us that!”

“I wasn't sure if I wanted to go or not.”

“Didn't you study law in the seventies or something?”

“Nineties.”

“Same thing.”

“Not really. Less colorful bellbottoms.”

“I wouldn't know, I was daggered at the time.”

“If you already studied law, why do it again?” Caroline asked, her throat still burning from the tequila that went down wrong. “I mean, why not do something else? Like, buy a bar or something. Oh! Become a vet! But like, in a zoo or something.”

“A zoologist? Really?”

“What? Animals are cute! And you could be around pandas!”

“Is that your plan Caroline?” Rebekah asked in a accusatory voice. “Have we finally cracked the mystery of what you plan on doing since you have been so tight lipped about it. Playing with pandas?”

“I know what her plans are.” Liz chimed in and smiled. Caroline had emailed her mother the moment she knew what she was possibly going to be doing and where she was going once she graduated. She then had to delete the email chain because Rebekah knew nothing of boundaries; especially when something was being kept from her. It was hard but Caroline was able to keep it a secret...and for a reason.

“Of course you know, you're her mother.” Rebekah replied, turning towards Caroline with narrowed eyes. “It is rude to keep secrets.”

“It won't be a secret forever. I just need it to be for a little while longer.” Caroline gave her a small smile and Rebekah read through the lines. Her eyes grew round and Caroline had never seen such a wide smile from her. In a split second, Rebekah and vamped her way towards the other girl and tackled her to the ground. It wasn't an attack but instead a moment of affection between the two girls. The squeal Rebekah let out was ear shattering. Liz and Stefan just drank their margaritas with amused smiles playing on their lips.

*

“ _Caroline Forbes. Linguistics_.”

Caroline stood as the commencement speaker called her name and made her way towards the stage. Behind her she could hear the claps and she swore she heard Stefan whistle. Caroline climbed the small amount of stairs and made her way across the stage. The cheering could be heard all around her and as she couldn't control how wide her smile was as she shook the commencement speaker's hand; taking the symbolic paper as she went. When the president of the university came towards her to preform the hooding, she turned and looked out into the ground. She picked out her mother easily but it was those she was stationed beside that drew her eyes. While both Liz, Freya and Elijah were clapping but it was Klaus who was standing tall and despite the fact that he was far away, she could tell that he looked proud.

Much like the graduation ceremony she had in Athens, the hooding ceremony (a special ceremony for students receiving their graduate and doctoral decrees) was held in an arena. She could feel the president place the ceremonial silk to her hood and once it was in place, Caroline made her way off the stage.

As she returned to her seat she could feel the emotions begin to boil over. Her heart was racing and the tears streamed down her face. They were happy tears and Caroline never felt more elated. The last few years have taught her so much about herself. The Caroline she had been as a human or even before she fled Mystic Falls would not recognize the woman she has become. Becoming a vampire made Caroline find her confidence but spreading her wings made her realize just who she was meant to be. She never felt more proud of herself and she knew in this moment, she had the right to be selfish; the right to be noticed. When Rebekah's and Stefan's names were called, Caroline clapped and screamed for them, just has they had for her. Once everyone had their degree and was hooded the commencement speaker stood one last time and uttered one word.

“Mahalo.”

Caps were in the air and before she knew it, Rebekah's arms crashed around her. The blonde original also had tears streaming down her face. Despite the fact that Rebekah was a thousand years old, Caroline knew how much this moment meant to her. She came from and lived the majority of her life with the idea that woman were nothing but property. She lived in the shadows of her brothers because that was the only option she had. Now she had a graduate decree that she achieved with only her life experience and her wits. Even though Caroline often called Rebekah's degree a cop out, she was very proud of her.

“Congratulations Sweetheart.” His silky accent whispered in her ear and Caroline spun around to see Klaus standing beside her. His eyes were soft and smile wide making his dimples extremely pronounced. He wore his trademark jeans and Henley with chains around his neck. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Elijah hugging his sister, wearing the same old suit despite the fact that is was about eighty degrees outside. Freya hung back and wore a lazy smile as she watched the scene.

Before she could reply to him, Liz came and claimed her daughter. Her mother never hugged her so hard before, it was as though she was holding onto her for dear life. The tears that were streaming down Liz's cheeks and Caroline could feel them on her skin. Liz had never been one of those touchy feeling types but in that moment, Caroline never felt more loved by her mother.

“I'm so proud of you.” Liz whispered. Caroline pulled away and looked at her mom for a moment. Despite the fact that Liz appeared tired and worn out, a look that Caroline was used to seeing on her, she could never remember seeing her happier; even when she as married to her father. She had dark circles on her eyes and appeared frail, her job as a sheriff taking its toll. Caroline offered to take her anywhere in the world, just to get her away from Mystic Falls, but Liz refused. Liz was born in Mystic Falls and dedicated her life to keeping it safe.

“I wish you could stay longer.”

“I know but I've been here for a week and you need to celebrate with your friends.” Liz had booked her return trip for the same day as the ceremony. She was taking the red eye back to Virginia despite the fact that Caroline had begged her to stay longer. It was nice having her mom around again even though her visits were always short. “Your dad would have been so proud of you.”

The day moved onward. The group headed down to the beach where photos were taken. Rebekah, Caroline and Stefan needed to have at least one in their caps and gowns; something to remember the time they spent living on a beach in paradise. Rebekah took one with her three siblings and one with each individually. Klaus was kind enough to take a series of photos of Caroline and Liz, her favorite being one where Caroline rested her head on Liz's shoulder. Once the pictures were done, Caroline walked her mom back up to the house and waited for the cab to come and retrieve her.

“Are you sure you have to go?”

“Yes. I had a wonderful time and I always love seeing how far you have come.” Lis kissed the top of her head and picked up her bags. She paused for a moment as though she was looking for the right thing to say. “I'm exceptionally ordinary and I am okay with that.” She reached out and took Caroline's hand. “You are anything but. You are meant to be extraordinary. You need to know how proud I am of you.” With one last kiss and hug, Caroline watched her mom walk out the door. Caroline let a few tears slide down her cheek as she watched her mother climb into the cab and head to the airport.

“Caroline?” The mentioned vampire turned and saw Freya leaning against the wall. “Rebekah sent me to come and get you. She deems that you're taking to long.” Caroline rolled her eyes but followed the witch out the sliding glass doors and back down to the beach. Caroline had not spent much time with Freya but the two fell into easy conversation. “I am not sure who was more proud, your mom or Klaus.”

“They turned it into a competition during the ceremony, didn't they?”

“Absolutely.” Caroline just rolled her eyes.

“So where are you off to next?” While Freya considered New Orleans her home base, she traveled continuously throughout the year; rarely staying in one place too long. Elijah and Klaus were the only ones who stayed there for any length of time. They even were able to all leave at the same time because their power was safe in their hands; especially since they reached something of a treaty with Marcel.

“A nice trek through the Amazon jungle.” Before Caroline could comment, Rebekah was pulling her towards the group and down the beach.

“Luau time!” Rebekah shouted and Caroline distinctively heard Klaus groan when they reached the group. She slipped her hand into his, giving him a soft smile that she reserved for him only.

In typical Mikaelson fashion, such an occasion needed a celebration. Thus, Rebekah hired a company to turn their private beach that stretched for miles into a traditional luau. Traditional tasty Hawaiian food would be served with fruity drinks and live dancers. There was even a pig roasting over a large bonfire and tiki lights stationed along the majority of the beach. The entirety of their graduating class, all two hundred and fifty of them, were invited; including their loved ones. Not everyone came, and many filtered in and out, but the party continued well into the night.

Rebekah grabbed a lei for everyone and Caroline chuckled at seeing Elijah wear such a thing alongside an Armani suit. She distinctively saw both Klaus and Freya take pictures of him. He stood out against his siblings who were dressed in a most relaxed manner. While Rebekah donned a long maxi dress and had her hair in waves, Freya wore ripped jeans and a red top; typical of her edgier style. Stefan was dressed similar to Klaus but instead of a Henley, he wore one of his grey shirt that reached his elbows. It was Caroline who took extra care in her clothing. Hawaii was warm and she would need something light but she wanted to make a statement. She chose a white sundress that was held up by thin spaghetti straps. It pooled mid thigh and she wore a blue cardigan that brought out her eyes. She kept her hair in the beach waves that she had been wearing recently.

It was a special night, a night that she would remember for the rest of eternity. Klaus stood by her side as she greeted classmates and gave tearful farewells. Their fingers stayed intertwined for the majority of the time and Klaus even danced a hula with her; of course Rebekah got that on recording to which Klaus threatened to break her phone. Unlike their normal fights, this was filled with nothing more than good nature bickering between siblings. It was kind and relaxing to see the siblings behave in a manner when there was not a supernatural apocalypse upon them.

“Eh hem.” The group turned toward the voice. Several tables, including the bar and a table for food, had been set up at the top of the beach, far away from the water. The Mikaelson siblings, Stefan and Caroline claimed one for themselves. Elijah stood and raised his glass filled with bourbon (because solo cups were so not Rebekah's style) and began to speak. “I feel that it is my duty and privilege to congratulate all three of you on the feat you have accomplished these last few years.”

“I lived with those two, let me tell you that in and of itself is an accomplishment.” Stefan said and earned not only an indigent “Hey!” from Caroline but a rather harsh smack from Rebekah. Klaus chuckled and Caroling narrowed her eyes at him and pointed her finger at him. Klaus raised his hands in defeat but was smothering a smirk.

“Yes well, moving on.” Elijah stated in a calm voice but they all could tell that he was enjoying the moment. “Stefan, you are a good man. A man of honor and a good friend to both my sister and my brother; both in the twenties and now. You were there for them during times that I could not and for that I thank you.”

“Thank you, Elijah.” Stefan replied.

“I wouldn't thank him yet mate, he didn't compliment your hair.” Klaus joked and the rest laughed. Stefan picked up a butter knife that was resting on the table and tossed it at him; knowing that the older vampire would catch it easily.

“Miss Forbes.”

“Call me Caroline, please.”

“Caroline.” Elijah indulged her as she rested her head on Klaus's shoulder; the two holding hands under the table. “You have made a huge impact on this family. You became the friend my sister need desperately, providing her a home when she was lost in the world. You bring out the humanity in my brother that I had thought was long gone.” Klaus brought Caroline's hand to his lips, silently telling her how true Elijah's words were. “That is a gift you have given this family, that I can never repay. I do not know you well but I hope that in the future I will have the privilege of calling myself your friend.” Caroline stood and walked around the table. She embraced a rather surprised Elijah, holding him tight and ignoring the fact that he clearly was not a hugger.

“And that is something I can promise. We have an eternity to know one another.” Caroline took her seat again, leaning into Klaus. She knew he had questions on why she was being so affectionate with him but he said nothing; not wanting to ruin the moment.

“and for my darling little sister.” He took a moment and Caroline could see that he needed to compose himself. “I remember the day you were born. You came into this world screaming and I have never loved something so beautiful as I have you. For a thousand years we protected you and tried, and failed to give you the life you deserve.” He stopped again. “But now I am proud to say that you no longer need our guidance but it will always be here if you choose to ask for it.” Rebekah had tears streaming down her face now and Klaus, who was seated between both Rebekah and Caroline, leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “I have never been more proud of you.”

Much Caroline had done, Rebekah leap out of her seat and was in Elijah's arms before anyone could blink. Caroline looked at Klaus and he could see that the happiness shining in his eyes that was rare for anyone in their family. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. The two shared a look before Rebekah broke away from Elijah and tearfully addressed the rest of the table.

“I think I can speak for us all in wishing that Kol and Henrik...hell even Finn could be here.” They all chuckled. Rebekah picked up her glass and held it up. “To my brothers, always and forever.” Elijah and Klaus repeated the vow they made a thousand years ago. “To my sister, who I never thought I'd have the pleasure of knowing.” Freya said nothing but offered a rare grin. “And to the friends I've made along the way.” Both Stefan nodded while Caroline blew her a kiss. “And to me, because I'm fabulous.”

“To Rebekah.” They all laughed and chanted; clinking their glasses together and drank. The night continued on, Rebekah pulled Stefan from the table and dragged him out onto the beach, forcing him to dance. Watching Rebekah try and get Stefan into grass skirt was well worth the sight. Elijah and Freya fell into conversation about something magic related. Caroline stood from her chair and held out her hand.

“Walk with me.” Without a second thought, Klaus took her hand and Caroline led him down the beach. Klaus wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing her to him as they walked. The noise of the party faded into the background and soon it was only the crashing waves that could be heard. It was a comforting moment and if everything went according to plan, it could set the rest of her eternity. “Thank you for coming. It means a great deal.”

“An entire coven of witches couldn't keep me away.” Klaus mumbled and Caroline had the suspicion that a coven had tried. Knowing Klaus, it was not out of the realm of possibilities. He had a tendency to piss off the wrong people but since he was Klaus, he always came out on top; like massacring an entire werewolf pack and making the supernatural community curious enough to wonder who Caroline was. Rebekah was able to keep a low enough profile that it didn't register that Caroline was living with an original, just one that was not Klaus.

The name Caroline was just another mysterious link to the Originals that no one had cracked yet.

“I know it meant a lot to Rebekah.” She smiled at him and linked their fingers together. She pulled him away from the water and towards the patch of grass that was covered by a palm tree. Klaus sat down with his back against the tree and Caroline settled between his legs. Klaus wrapped his arms around her middle as she made herself comfortable. “I know she is excited to go back to New Orleans, no matter what she says otherwise. Oh, and we have to make sure that she in no way shape or form starts teaching at Tulane. That will only end in misery for everyone involved...maybe the entire city. Who knows with her.”

“We?”

“I mean, whomever is in New Orleans with her. I can't physically stop her because she is Rebekah and I will be thousands of miles away.” She could feel Klaus's shoulder shag slightly behind her and knew that there would be disappointment in his eyes. While he always gave subtle hints that he always had a place for her should she want it, Klaus never directly asked her to come to him; he left that decision up to her.

“I'm sure we can manage keeping her off a college campus for a time. I'll give her my credit card and she will be too busy drying up the shops to worry about teaching.” Caroling hit his chest lightly but knew that he was right. Rebekah was many things and being easily distracted was one of them. It actually surprised Caroline that Rebekah had not grown bored with schooling and completed her degree; not that Caroline would ever tell her that of course. “My sister is returning to the nest, the Rippah is heading off to Boston to pout over the doppelganger..” Caroline rolled her eyes but didn't contradict him “and that leaves you Sweetheart. You have been tight lipped about your plans.”

“I'm sure your sister has complained about it enough.” Klaus said nothing but his silence spoke volumes. “I think back to who I was years ago. I clung to my humanity and wanted to simply remain human with the perks of being a vampire. Despite the fact that being smothered is a bitch, becoming a vampire is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I agree.” Klaus uttered, not sure where she was going with this or what it had to do with her future plans but he let her continue.

“I hated the monster that lived under my skin. If I stayed in Mystic Falls, if I had gone to Whitmore like I always planned, I think I still would.” Caroline shifted to face him, straddling his lap. “However, I have accepted her. I've embraced her. Drinking from the vein no longer bothers me because no matter how hard I try, I'm not human and I never want to be again.” The sun had set and they only had the moon for light, Caroline could see the sparkle that lingered in Klaus's eyes; as though he had always known she would be magnificent as a vampire. “There are some lines I won't cross. Compulsion still makes me uncomfortable if it is abused and there are somethings I want to do before I embrace the vampire life completely.”

“Whatever it is that you choose to do, you know I will support you.” Caroline leaned in and brushed her lips against Klaus's. It was a soft kiss; a kiss that was meant to say how thankful she was to have his support. She could do anything from feeding orphans to massacring and entire country, and Klaus's support would never waiver. It was a powerful feeling.

“I know.” She reached down and linked their hands together again. Klaus lifted her hands to his lips and she could feel the smirk against her skin. “What I am trying to say is that I got a job offer. A position as a translator has opened up recently and I applied. Or well, an _internship_ with the option of being hired at the end of a year depending on my performance. The position is mine if I want it. ”

“Sounds like the perfect opportunity to use your language skills. You'd be magnificent at it.”

“I have not accepted the internship yet. I might have compelled him to allow me a few extra weeks to decide.”

“Why? What is holding you back?”

“You.”

“Caroline, I-”

“Ask me where the internship is Klaus.”

“I don-”

“Just ask me.”

“Where is this internship Caroline?”

“Tokyo.” Caroline suddenly found herself on her feet and her back against the palm tree. Klaus's eyes bore into hers. For a moment she thought he might compel her to simply know if she was being honest with him; but deep down she knew that he would never cross that line with her. She trusted him. She knew how much hearing the name of that city leave her lips means to him. She knew how much the unspoken promise that they held meant; that neither would enter the threshold of three cities without the other.

“What are you asking Caroline?” His voice was soft and hopeful. She could not remember ever seeing him more vulnerable than she did in that moment. Fear, hope, elation, skepticism and pure emotion was written out before her. “If you do this, if you ask this of me, know I will never let you go. I will stand by your side but know that I will ask you to stand by mine for eternity.”

“How deep are your roots in New Orleans?” She asked, placing one of her hands on Klaus's cheek, tracing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. “And would you be willing to uproot them for me?”

Klaus answered her with a kiss; a searing and passionate kiss. It was bruising and Caroline knew that it was the most important kiss of her eternity to this point. She had thought it would take her more time to want to be with Klaus completely; at least a few decades if not a century. Yet, with each visit Caroline found that she wanted him to stay longer and longer. With each _goodbye_ Caroline felt that a sort of loneliness creep inside her that she could not explain at first. A loneliness that always vanished when she was with Klaus.

She had loved Tyler, she really had but this was different. She had shedded the part of her that Tyler had touched and broke but she could not get Klaus from under her skin. While there were scars from her human years that would linger with her for eternity but Tyler was not one of them. With her heart no longer bound to her first love, Caroline found that she wanted to have Klaus sketched on every surface of her soul; bloodshed and all. While she had an endless supply of it, she realized that time was an endless commodity that could not be wasted.

So she kissed him back with equal passion and fever. She weaved her fingers into his hair and pressed herself as close to him as she could. She opened her legs, wrapping them around his waist while he ground the bulge in his pants into her. His lips pulled from her and Caroline allowed air to fill her lungs while he kissed her jawline. He left a trail of burning kisses to her ear and he took the lobe in between his teeth.

“From this moment forward, no one else Caroline. Not tonight, tomorrow, or in a year. Not in a decade or a century. You are mine.” His words were husky and Caroline tugged on his curls; pulling him to look at her.

“Just as you are mine.”

Words were rarely spoken after that. Klaus pulled the blue sweater from her shoulders and tossed in on the ground. He slipped the straps of her dress down her shoulders until the dress pooled at her waist and her breast were open to the air. His lips latched on her to her nipple and she groaned at the feeling. She allowed him a few moments before she was tugging at his curls to bring his lips to her. Caroline flipped the two and pressed Klaus against the tree. She ripped the Henley down the middle and tossed the scraps of fabric to the ground. Caroline leaned in and licked his collar bone, kissing every inch of skin she could fine.

“Bite me.” Klaus's husky voice asked and Caroline look at him and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Bite me Caroline. _Mark me.”_

Caroline felt her fangs retract and she bit into his chest, right above his nipples. She moaned at the flow of blood that entered her mouth. She pulled her fangs out of his skin and Klaus was about to protest but she moved lower and bit him in another spot. She would suck for a moment, pull away and lick the blood that would drip down his chest. Once she reached the top of his jeans, she dragged her tongue up his chest before dropping to her knees again.

She undid the button to his jean and pushed them down around his ankles; his boxers following suit. His member was standing tall. Klaus got a small gleam in his eye and gave her a smirk that made his dimples more pronounced. Caroline leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip of him. He hissed at the contact. She poked her tongue out between her lips and licked the entire length of him. The sudden assault cause Klaus to suck in a breath.

“Caroline.” His voice was throaty and breathless. Caroline glanced at him and saw him swallow. Seeing the most powerful creature on the planet in such a manner made her feel powerful and she wanted nothing more than to pleasure him. She opened her mouth and took him in fully. Slowly, she began to bob her head. Klaus moved his one hand and threaded it into her blonde curls. The beach waves that she worked hard to achieve would be ruined but she really could care less. His hand tightened slightly and started to direct her movements. “You like me being in your mouth, don't you. Use your hands. Massage my balls.” She took one of her hands and covered the part of him that was not engulfed in her mouth. She did as he instructed and began to massage him. Looking up slightly, found that his head had fallen against the tree and his eyes were closed. “Stop. I need you.”

Klaus pulled himself out of her mouth and sunk to his knees, lowering himself to her level. He sat down and rested his back against the tree again. Caroline straddled him against but raised her arms above her head. Following her lead, Klaus took her white dress and pulled it over her head, leaving her in nothing but the light pink lace panties. His finger traced the top of them and instead of pulling them down her legs, he just ripped them completely.

“Hey! I liked those!”

“I'll buy you however many pair you want, Sweetheart.” Before she could respond, his arms wrapped around her and he attacked her lips. The kiss was bruising and his fingers traced down her spine. His touch was light and it caused Caroling to moan against his lips. Their lips broke apart and his gazed latched greedily onto her naked form. “You are so beautiful.”

He lowered his lips toward the tops of her breasts and kissed her cleavage. He moved his lips downwards and he took a peak fully into his mouth. Caroline threw her head back and moaned at his assault. Eventually he moved onto her her other breast. His hand went to message the breast that was not being kissed by his lips. Caroline grew tired of his actions, laced her fingers in his hair and pulled his head up to hers again.

She straddled his lap and he took himself in hand, aligning himself with her entrance. Slowly, she lowered herself onto him and he filled her to the hilt. Their eyes locked and she began to raise herself up before lowing back down. He hit that spot inside her and she called out his name; not caring if someone down on the beach could hear her. Klaus gripped her hips and began to move his hips to match her thrusts. He was close and he moved his finger to touch her clit.

“Klaus!” Her release hit her unexpectedly and Klaus's release followed shortly after. They sat still for a moment, their heads resting against one another. Once Caroline's knees began to hurt she stood, allowing Klaus's member to slide out of her. She moaned at the contact due to her still being sensitive. She grabbed his shirt and wiped her hands clean before grabbing her dress and cardigan to put them back on.

Klaus also stood and pulled his jeans up and fastened them. Caroline handed him his shirt and he picked up her panties. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pocket the panties and all she could do was snort before rolling her eyes. Klaus appeared completely unashamed and instead just tossed her a cocky smirk. He appeared to be far to pleased with himself. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. He kissed her shoulder blade and the nap of her neck; a moment that felt more intimate than the sex they just had.

Caroline's grin grew wide and she couldn't help but give a laugh of pure joy. She laced their finger's together and pulled him towards the beach again; and towards the beach house she shared with Rebekah. They remained silent but the looks they shared spoke volumes. Klaus seemed lighter than she had ever seen him before. He seemed happier. Caroline felt a swell of pride that she was the one who could make him that happy.

“Oh you two are disgusting.” Their gaze turned to see Rebekah glaring at them. Elijah, Freya and Stefan stood a few paces behind her and at least they had the manners to just look away. However, Rebekah looked positively disturbed. “Please tell me that if Caroline visits New Orleans I am not going to be subject to this.” Caroline wanted to point out the fact that she has heard them have sex before; although she always fled the house quickly enough. However, Klaus stopped her before the words were out of her mouth.

“Caroline won't be coming to New Orleans any time soon.” Rebekah clearly looked disappointed. Caroline knew that Rebekah had thought that she might come to stay for awhile after she spoke with Klaus. She had thought the reason she was being evasive about her plans after graduation was due to the fact she was unsure if Klaus still wanted her. “In fact, I won't be returning to New Orleans either.”

Caroline and Klaus shared a knowing look with the other four just looked at them baffled. Rebekah wanted to scream but Freya put a calming hand on her shoulder. Elijah eyed his brother for a moment and Caroline could only describe the look as pride.

“You're going with her. Arn't you.” Stefan replied. “Where?”

“Tokyo.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, couple things.  
> 1) I love Freya. I'm not big on TO or at least parts of it but Freya, well I adore her; so I HAD to include her. Plus, she will have a part to play later.
> 
> 2) I know some are going to think that them getting together was a bit fast. But it has been fiveish years and I always felt that Caroline would go to Klaus sooner rather than later. 
> 
> At this point, we are just going to highlight the important times in their life that I'm going to show. The first year after Caroline left MF is probably the most important. But now she has gone through college, lived that experience and is making something of herself.....but has also realized that she is a vampire and the rules of being a human do not apply anymore.


	6. Tokyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I know. I know. I suck. School and real life got in the way; and was kicking my ass. However, I am really proud of this chapter. I like how it turned out and hopefully you all will like it as well.
> 
> Please note that I don't have a beta. I do go through and try and edit but, writers do miss their own mistakes.

**Tokyo, Japan**

“How do I look?” Caroline twirled around, showing Klaus her first day outfit. It was simple, black slacks, white button down and her hair pulled back in a practical bun...and a pair of Jimmy Choo's that she might have snagged from Rebekah's closet. Despite her practical attire, Klaus still looked at her as though she was the most beautiful thing in history. It was as though he wanted to devour her and it took a moment for Caroline to grow used to Klaus's adoration of her.

She had thought over the years that they had grown close, that she knew the hybrid...and then she promised him forever and what she knew went out the window. Being with Klaus was intense. The promises he made her were kept. In the three months they had been “official”, as Caroline liked to call it, Klaus had given her more than expected.

Klaus stayed in Hawaii until Caroline settled all her affairs there and was able to make the move to Tokyo. She mentioned that they would have to go real estate shopping and in typical Klaus fashion, he hired a private jet and flew them to Japan. Caroline rolling her eyes the entire trip as they went house hunting. Klaus would not settle for just any place and by the end of the trip they had compromised on a penthouse in the center of Tokyo with an office for her and an art studio for him; and enough rooms for each of his siblings should they ever want to visit.

Before Caroline gave into his promise of forever, she knew that Klaus and his siblings were a package deal. She knew that wherever they were, there was always the chance that one or more of them would randomly pop up. Living with Rebekah taught her that; although it always seemed to be Klaus the one who just showed up. So, when Klaus stated that each of them out have their own room, Caroline did not even blink.

When they made the official move, Elijah shipped all of Klaus's belongings to Tokyo and Freya made a visit to spell the penthouse so only those with Mikaelson or Forbes blood to be allowed on the premises. A few marathons of HGTV later, Caroline decorated their home to match both of their styles. The art work was of course supplied by Klaus, originals only, and the place had bright colors mixed with an open layout and glass windows that let in the sunlight.

It wasn't forever, but it was home.

“You look perfect.” Klaus said in a soothing voice as he stood behind their kitchen counter. He poured hot coffee in a pale blue to-go coffee mug with small flowers printed on it. Klaus then showed his fangs and bit into his wrist, bleeding into the coffee before putting the cap on it. He walked over to her and handed her the cup with an infuriating smirk on his lips. “Now you better hurry or you won't be thirty minutes early for your first day.”

“Bite me.”

“Gladly.” The two of the shared a knowing look and it took everything Caroline had not to blush. In order to keep herself from smiling, she took a sip of the coffee in her hand but her eyes never left him. She coughed lightly and she shook her head.

“What are your plans for the day?” The last few weeks have been a mix of touring the city and creating their home. Then the last week had been nothing but the two of them christening every surface of it. Seeing that the penthouse was huge, it was impressive feat. “Painting or terrorizing the supernatural community? Or both?”

“A little of both.” Klaus had told her that he planned on making his presence known throughout Japan. He rarely stayed in the city for any length of time and did not make any sort of connections there. However, that did not mean they did not know who the hybrid was. Once Klaus revealed himself when he sacrificed Elena, the knowledge that Klaus was not a myth but very real echoed throughout the world. “I promise no bloodshed though.”

“Don't make promises you cannot keep.” Caroline replied and Klaus didn't disagree. While Klaus did not plan on killing anyone, that did not mean that it would not happen. She stood on her tip toes and kissed his lips gently. It was just a peck but the feel of his lips always sent a tingle down her spine.“But I do have to go.”

“Knock them dead, Sweetheart.” Klaus put his hand on the small of her back and lead her towards the elevator that operated as their front door. He adored how excited and happy she looked. It was as though she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. This internship meant so much to her but he knew that it was the entire situation. It was the job, their home, Tokyo and him. He was part of the reason why she was happy. “You're going to be magnificent.”

“I thought we agreed on no bloodshed?” Klaus just chuckled and leaned in for another kiss. Caroline moaned lightly. They pulled away when the bell of the elevator rang. Giving him one last happy look before the doors closed.

Caroline just knew that she was going to love her new job.

*

Caroline _hated_ her job.

In the three months that she has been working for Mr. Suzuki, she learned that not only was he a giant asshole but chauvinistic dick as well. When she interviewed for the internship, she did not meet Mr. Suzuki but instead some lower level man who was in charge of hiring. He had since been fired and Caroline had a feeling that her compulsion had something to do with it. While she might have felt guilty about it, she thought she might have done the man a favor.

Caroline felt like a glorified secretary from the 1960s and Mr. Suzuki treated her as such. While the grunt work, such as getting coffee and filing, did not bother her much, it was the treatment she and the other female interns were subjugated too. While Caroline and the other females in the company were made to do more “feminine” jobs, the male interns were given harder tasks. While Caroline was aware that not everyone in the company, and in Japan, was sexist, Mr. Suzuki was clearly old school when it came to gender roles. The tipping point came when he asked her about her marital status and he let his eyes linger a bit too long on her breasts.

“The asshole said I need to find a husband. A _husband._ I'm twenty six and apparently an old maid according to him. Which is bullshit because I am eternally seventeen!” Caroline ranted as she threw her clothes into the hamper. Klaus was lying on their bed, watching her every move and commenting when it was required. Klaus had learned that when Caroline vented to him, she did not require him to fix the problem but instead just listen to her. It was a hard request, especially when there was someone out there who made her life difficult walked upon the earth. “I wanted to tell him that I didn't need a husband, I have a hybrid. Although, I think he would think I meant a car or something.”

“You could just compel him Sweetheart.” Klaus offered while he watched her pull one of his Henley's over her head. It still amazed him how often those “went missing” and he had to buy more; not that he was complaining. “Compel him to just be less of, what did you call him?”

“Sexist dick-wad.”

“Yes. That.”

“You know I hate compulsion.” Caroline flopped in a complete ungraceful manner on the bed next to Klaus. He quickly pulled her into his arms and she buried her head into his chest; enjoying the comfort of having his arms around her. “I still feel bad about the guy I got fired because I compelled him to allow me a few weeks to think about the internship.”

“Says the woman who routinely eats the other interns.”

“Hey! I only eat the ones who are suck ups, which is pretty much all of them, but that is besides the point! And I will have you know that I-” She paused when she saw the amused look on Klaus's face. He just loved to her get riled up and to see how angry she could get. Thus, he often pushed her buttons just to see how angry she could get. It was never anything cruel or malicious, just enough to get her out of her comfort zone. “You're teasing me! I had a bad day and you're teasing me.” She moved to get up but Klaus pulled her back down. “No, you're being an ass.”

“I'm sorry Sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head and she melted back into his embrace. He knew that she never stayed angry at him long...unless he did something absolutely terrible; which has been awhile to be honest. No one has made a move against him and thus he has not had the need to kill anyone.

It could be said that stereotype of the Japanese was that they were intelligent, the supernatural community in Japan were incredibly wise. When it became common knowledge that Klaus was in Tokyo and would be for awhile, they all but rolled out the red carpet for him. They even went as far as to ask for his advice when they felt it was needed. Caroline supposed that since they realized they had no way to kill him, for finding a white oak steak is nearly impossible, they thought it would be best to make him an ally and not an enemy. Klaus trusted none of them but they have given no reason for him to kill them so, he just accepted their praise.

So they inflated his ego and Caroline found the sucking up both equally hilarious and infuriating.

“It's fine. I just...ugh.”

“Do you want me to kill him?”

“No.....maybe.....no.”

“Well thats helpful.”

“You can't kill him....yet. Maybe once this year is over I'll let you.” Klaus's smirk grew wide at that. He hated hearing Caroline rant day after day about this man who made her life difficult and not be able to kill him. During the years he had spent as her friend and now as her partner, _he refused to use the word boyfriend,_ one thing he knew was that Caroline needed to handle her own problems. Mr. Suzuki was nothing more than a human and was not threat to her safety. If he did anything that would make Caroline uncomfortable he knew that she could take care of herself. It just did not make it easy to listen to her be miserable. “I think after this year, I am not taking the job if it is offered to me.”

“Will you want to leave Tokyo?”

“I don't know. I love the city and I love the home we have built here.” His eyes grew soft at her words. Caroline leaned up and kissed him lightly before continuing. “Maybe I'll want to stay for awhile. Maybe I won't. We will have to see.”

“I will follow you anywhere you want to go.” He kissed her forehead and it pleased Caroline to know that if she wanted to leave, he would abandon whatever it was he was involved in and take her anywhere she wanted to go. He left New Orleans behind for her, although she knew that Elijah was keeping him updated on the comings and goings of the city. “Perhaps tomorrow you and I will go to the Imperial Palace. Maybe eat at that Ramen place you love.”

“And see the Cherry Blossoms?”

“And see the Cherry Blossoms.” It still amazed Klaus how much Caroline fell in love with those trees. When she saw them for the first time, it reminded him of the fascination he had when he saw her lying in her bed dying of a werewolf bite. The intrigue and sheer beauty of it had her hooked and Klaus vowed that if they ever settled in one place, he would have a Cherry Blossom tree for her.

“No old Samurai vampire you need to meet with?”

“There is only one vampire who was a Samurai in Japan and he hates to be reminded of his history.”

“So you make sure to remind him as often as you can.”

“Of course.”

*

The gardens of the Imperial Palace had to be Caroline's favorite part of Tokyo. Just like Klaus had promised, they spent the day exploring the gardens and while the inner gardens were not open to the public, that did not stop Klaus from showing them to her. While Caroline may only use compulsion for necessities and to ease the pain of her meals, but Klaus did not. It was a compromise; Klaus did not force her boundaries and she did not try and change him. Plus, the sights were beautiful and the compulsion worth it.

Once they completed their _private_ tour, Klaus took Caroline to the Ramen shop she loved. When they had first settled in Tokyo, they tried a vast variety of different restaurants from authentic sushi to ramen. There was a small hole in the wall type place that quickly became her favorite and Klaus found that she requested it at least once a week. Once they finished their dinner, they decided to take a stroll through downtown Tokyo and enjoy the atmosphere of the city at night.

“Thank you, for today.”

“Of course Sweetheart. It is good to see you happy and not frustrated at your boss.” Caroline stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Although, it would be much easier if you just killed him. I do know a few techniques in disposing a body. I'd be more willing to offer a hand.”

“I can dispose of my own bodies, thank you.” She snapped back playfully and Klaus just gave a small amused shrug. Caroline was to the point that killing her boss was not completely off the table but she felt that she shouldn't give in after only three months; she was an overachiever and killing the boss so soon felt like a cop out. She wasn't Rebekah after all. “But thank you for the offer. Maybe one day I will take you up on it.”

“Just give me a name and I'll hand you a bloody corpse.”

“I really _really_ believe that.” She laughed and shook her head. She stood to kiss him but froze. There was a noise, a sound that Caroline latched onto through the chaos of the city. Her vampire hearing perked up and suddenly Caroline flashed out of Klaus's arms to a small alleyway at least a mile from where they had been standing. By the pulsing of the music, they were outside some club and giving that it was late on a Saturday, she could only guess that what happened inside.

There in the alleyway was a man who had a small woman pushed up against the brick wall. Her dress was around her waist and the man's pants where down around his ankles. While this may not have disturbed Caroline normally, for she and Klaus have had sex in similar circumstances since coming to Tokyo, and a few times in Hawaii as well, what did bother her was the fact that the woman was crying with his hand over her mouth. She tried to push the man away but nothing she did made him stop.

Caroline fucking _lost it._

She always prided herself on her control but in that moment, she had none. She grabbed the man by his shoulder and ripped him off the woman; his shoulder making a satisfying crunch as she did so. She pinned him against the wall and vampire feature emerged causing the man to scream in terror. She tore into his neck savagely, tasting the sweetness of his blood. Caroline did not know how long she sucked at his neck but by the time she was done, his head toppled off the man's shoulders. It took several minutes for her to realize that the man was dead.

She felt like a ripper when her senses and sanity came back to her. She saw Klaus looking at her with worried eyes. The woman was frozen, but redressed, and was about to scream bloody murder. Klaus quickly interviewed and looked deeply into the woman's pupils and spoke in fluent Japanese.

“ _You saw nothing that happened here tonight. You went out. You had fun. You left. Now leave.”_ The woman ran quickly and Klaus snapped into action. He picked up the headless body and quickly disposed of it in a dumpster and the head followed suit. Caroline knew that he would call a contact he made to do a better disposal but this would last for now. He flashed towards Caroline, who had blood covering her face and dripping from her blond hair. He cradled her face between his hands. “I have you. You're safe.”

Before she realized what was happening, the shock of everything eating at her, Klaus picked her up bridal style and flashed towards their home. Quickly enough they were at the penthouse and he placed her on their bathroom counter. He grabbed a towel, wet it in the faucet and began wiping the blood away from her face while she just sat there and let him. The scene she witnessed played out in her mind over and over.

And it wasn't the only thing going through her mind.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Klaus's voice was gentle, pulling her from her dark thoughts. She nodded but did not continue; instead letting him clean her. “What made you loose control?”

“I don't know how I heard it but once I did, it was all I could focus on. I saw her and I felt her fear.” She choked then, the tears flowing freely. Her breathing became heavy and her chest began to heave. She was panicking and her body was tensing in fear. “I had to make it stop. I couldn't let it continue. She was terrified and I couldn't let it continue.” Her words became illegible from that point but Klaus never let her go. She cried and clung to him as though he was a lifeline.

After several minutes, or hours, she calmed down. Once she was back to understanding her surroundings, she noticed a few things. The first was that Klaus was drawing comforting circles on the small of her back. The second was that the rest of him was rigid; as though if he moved he would snap in two. The third and final thing she noticed was the look of pure and unadulterated fury behind his eyes.

“I want a name Caroline.” In the years that she had known Klaus, she had never heard him that angry. The only two times that came close was the night he killed his hybrids and Carol Lockwood while the other was when he learned of Rebekah's betrayal from a hundred years ago. Yet, even those times were nothing compared to the rage that consumed him now. “A name Caroline.”

“It happened while I was human.” The words came out in a rush and Klaus could care less _when_ it happened, he only cared about in that moment was that _it happened at all._ Whomever touched her in such a way as they saw tonight, was dead. It would be a long and slow death that he would enjoy every second of. “I didn't even remember most of it until I was turned.”

“Vampire.” It all clicked into place. Her rare use of compulsion and her extreme need for control. She had been compelled as a human and this vampire had done despicable things to her. She could see that he was counting the possibilities of what vampire she would have come in contact with while she was human. She knew that he would figure it out eventually. “Who?”

“Damon.” Klaus was away from her in a second; flashing towards the elevator, the thought that he was covered in blood did not cross his mind. However, Caroline followed quickly and stood in front of the elevator's closed doors. “Please...”

“Nothing you can say will spare him Sweetheart. His blood is mine.” The words came out in a hiss, his teeth clenched together and his eyes shining a furious yellow. His wolf wanted to rip and tear at Damon's throat. Much like Klaus had done earlier, Caroline placed her hands on the sides of his face. She looked deep into those wolf like eyes and never blinked away.

“I know.” And she did. She knew that Klaus was going to kill Damon, most likely slowly. She knew that Elena would grow to hate her even more now than she already did. The thing that changed the most was how little Caroline cared. She had no reason to want to spare Damon's life beyond her friendship with Stefan. Even then, she could not bring herself to care. “Just, don't leave me. Please. Just stay with me.”

The bell of the elevator dinged and the doors opened behind them. Klaus could have easily flashed inside and left Caroline standing in their penthouse alone...but he didn't. Instead he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. The doors shut slowly and the two just stood there.

“It will not be today or tomorrow but one day I will kill him. I will feel his heart beating in my hands.”

“I know.”

“I'm serious Caroline.”

“I know Klaus. I know.” He said nothing more but she could still feel the rage coursing through him. “Lets take a bath.” She linked their fingers together and led him back into the bathroom. She leaned against the counter and watched him draw the water. He filled it with the bubbles she liked and set out the shampoo she used. He moved over to her and undressed her, stripping her top off her chest and her jeans down her legs. Once naked, she climbed into the hot water while Klaus stripped his own clothing; crawling in behind her. Caroline leaned back, resting her back against his chest.

It wasn't sexual. There was no arousal on either of their parts but instead, just pure comfort. She needed him in that moment and he needed to know that she was whole and intact. They were silent at first but the silence was completely pregnant; so much was communicated just through Caroline drawing small lines on his arm or Klaus kissing the top of her head. Then Caroline couldn't take the silence anymore; so she spoke.

She told him in detail everything that had happened from the moment she saw Damon in the town square and everything that happened afterwards. It was the first time she every really spoke about what had happened and what it felt like to have those memories hit her all at once. The terror and helplessness that rushed back to her when she woke up hungry and alone in the hospital. She never spoke of it to Elena, for the her feelings for both of the Salvatore brothers were too deep, even then and never to Bonnie who was too angry with her for being a vampire. Once they mended their fences, there always seemed to be a bigger and badder issue to solve; Klaus being one of them. She never spoke to her mother because she did not want to see the heart broken look upon her face.

Caroline knew that with each word she spoke, she was digging the grave that Damon would rest in, deeper and deeper.

*

In the days that pasted she could tell that Klaus was off; not with her but just off. At first Caroline was afraid that he would handle her with kid gloves but he did nothing of the sort. He treated her as he always had but it did not stop him from being furious. She could feel that fury vibrate under his skin every second of the day. She was afraid that she would come home to an empty penthouse night after night but Klaus was always there. He was always there to welcome her home. Every night except the night he killed a handful vampires on the outskirts of the city but Caroline did not blame him. She knew he needed to get his anger out some way or another. He got into a “disagreement” with a very old vampire who may or may not be a distant relation to the imperial family.

When Caroline came home a month after the _incident,_ as she called it, the penthouse it was silent. For a brief second she thought he had finally done it and gone after Damon. Yet then, with her vampire hearing, she could hear the distinct sound of a brush on a canvas. Klaus was painting and knowing that he was still there, made the situation so much better.

After a moment, she realized that the sound of Klaus painting was not the only sound in the penthouse. It was subtle but Caroline heard it; it was the sound of a page turning. She kicked off her shoes and flashed to the kitchen; nearly startling her at the sight she saw. It was mundane and predicable but she just did not expect to see it at her island, reading some book in Italian.

“Elijah?” The older vampire turned and looked at her. He gave her that gentleman like smile. “Can I get you anything? I am going to pour myself a glass of wine, would you like one?”

“No thank you Caroline.” She made her way into the kitchen and opened the door to the small wine fridge and pulled out a bottle. She poured herself a glass and swirled it around. In her teenage years, Caroline always went for the hard liqueur, as she got older and matured she tended to go for the wine instead. She enjoyed it more than she thought she would have years ago. “Niklaus tells me that you are not found of your new employment.”

“More like I am not a fan of my boss.” Caroline and Elijah nodded his head in agreement; clearly having heard stories from his brother about how Caroline felt about her work environment. She took more sips of her wine and peeked at Elijah from her eye lashes. “Is that all Klaus told you?”

“No. It is not.” Elijah gave her a hard look and he could tell that Caroline was displeased. What happened with Damon was something Caroline never spoke about, let alone wanting it told to anyone else. At first it was because there was so much going on then it was because Elena had feelings for Damon. She couldn't confined in her mother because Damon was her friend and she didn't want to cause her anymore pain. After that, it simply became habit not to speak of it. She let it out in side comments and hateful glares. To hear that Klaus told Elijah one of her more personal secrets infuriated her.“But I wouldn't judge him to harshly.”

“It wasn't his place!”

“No. It was not.” Elijah agreed. “However, I could tell that my brother was bothered by something. His phones calls were more hostile than normal. He wouldn't confide in me and then I heard that he killed a group of vampires in a rather vicious manner.” Caroline snorted at that. “While this would not be the first massacre that Niklaus has caused, I could tell it was a cry for help.”

“So you swooped in and saved the day? How brotherly of you.”

“Do not be angry at him Caroline.” She huffed at that. Being angry was something Caroline was both good and bad at when it came to Klaus. “My brother is very old and in that time has truly cared about very little. You however, are probably the most important thing-”

“Not a possession, but continue.”

“My apologizes, the most important _person_ that has come into his life. To hear that you were hurt in one of the most vicious of ways, well I'm actually surprised that he obeyed your wishes and did not go after Damon.” Elijah placed his book on the counter. “He didn't tell me anything until I showed up this afternoon. He did not tell me details, just who and what.”

“I asked him not to go after Damon.” Elijah started to speak but Caroline held up her hand. “Not in the way you are thinking. I have no ties to him anymore outside of my mother's weird friendship with him. I haven't spoken to Elena in years so if Klaus were to kill him, well lets be honest, torture him for eternity, I wouldn't mind.....I might help to be honest.” Caroline shook her head, rambling slightly. “Anyway, I just felt vulnerable. I didn't want to be alone.”

“You didn't want him to leave you.” Caroline nodded and Elijah graced her with a rare smile. “I suppose that is why he stayed. I had thought that he would have been on the first flight to Mystic Falls and that Damon Salvator would be in a world of pain and yet here Klaus is, because you asked him to stay.” Elijah leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs, linked his fingers together and placed them on his knee. “I have committed atrocities that most men cannot fathom in my life and Klaus's list of sins if far longer, however one thing neither of us have done is -”

“Don't. Please.” Caroline wrapped her arms around herself and kept her emotions at bay. Elijah nodded and said nothing else. Caroline heard that the painting in the studio upstairs had stopped. The anger she had been feeling for Klaus confiding in Elijah faded slightly. She felt guilty for not considering that he would need someone to talk to; someone that is removed from the situation. Caroline stepped out of the kitchen and headed toward the stairs.

“Caroline.” She turned around and looked at Elijah, “I'm sorry. For what happened to you.”

It was the first time that anyone ever apologized to her. Both Elena and Bonnie swept it under the rug and Stefan never even mentioned it to her. The thought that Damon would even consider apologizing was ludicrous. Klaus reacted in fury which is not unsurprising. However, hearing Elijah's genuine and sad tone had tears pooling in her eyes. She turned away and made her way up the stairs.

She didn't notice any of the paintings that she passed on her way to Klaus's studios. The colors, mixed with darkness faded in her mind. Her bare feet on the wooden floor and once she reached the end of the hallway that held Klaus's studio, she frozen. She knew that Klaus knew she was on the other side of the door but he was letting her come to him. She took a few deep breaths and pushed open the door.

Klaus's back was to her. He was staring at a canvas and the image painted on it made Caroline pause. It was her. The image was pure joy and light. She was smiling and laughing but there was no color. The painting was in black and white. It felt as though he stripped away all of her barriers leaving only her behind....and she was beautiful.

Klaus never turned around so Caroline made her way towards him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and kissed the space between his shoulder blades. She could feel the tension slowly leave him and he relaxed. She traced small circles on his stomach and inhaled his sent. They spoke no words to each other, instead feeling their presence. After moment, Caroline pulled away and made her way to the door, knowing that Klaus was not going to follow her. Once she reached the doorway, she placed her hand on the panel and looked over her shoulder.

“I know you're in love with me.” Caroline whispered in a love voice, those three words never spoke between the two of them. Klaus said nothing but his silence spoke volumes. Caroline just gave small smile, knowing that she was right and left the studio.

*

Elijah stayed for awhile and Caroline found that she enjoyed his company. The supernatural community was not exactly trusting of Klaus at the moment and Elijah was capable in to helping smooth the waters between Klaus and the rest of Japan. Seeing that Caroline has expressed that she would not be staying at the company once her internship is up, neither Klaus nor Caroline were sure if they planned on staying in Japan beyond that. They loved the city and Caroline would not mind exploring more of it however, she was beginning to realize that the corporate world was not for her.

She just did not take well to following orders and not giving them. It was a fact that Elijah pointed out in the only way he could without sounding completely condescending. However, Caroline was also stubborn. She was not one who quit and she was bound and determined to finish the year and complete the internship.

Whether or not Mr. Suzuki survived was a completely different story.

Once the weather grew colder and snow began to fall, Elijah decided to stay throughout the holidays. Caroline saw this as an opportunity to have a Christmas event. She commanded Rebekah's and Freya's presences; summoning them to Japan. She had the sneaking suspicion that Klaus may have threatened bodily harm if they refused to show. While he hated the idea of such celebrations, he wanted to make her happy, even if it meant celebrating anything when he was not in the mood to do so. So, Rebekah and Freya had no choice but to obey.

Liz Forbes, however, was another story.

“Please mom, I would really like it if you came.” Caroline pleaded, holding her iPhone to her ear. Liz had come to every see Caroline every Christmas since that first one in Scotland. However, this would be the first one that Liz is refusing to come; and Caroline found her excuse of having to work lacking. “You would love Japan in the winter.”

“Not this year sweetheart.” Liz's voice sounded tired and off. Caroline thought about telling her that she needed to stop working and take a break. However, she knew her mother would not take kindly to the advice. She never did. “Maybe next year.”

“Yeah. Maybe next year.”

Caroline's heart sank again but she said nothing more before hanging up the phone. She looked around the penthouse and smiled just a little. It was decorated to the max, Christmas decorations in every inch she could find. Both Elijah and Klaus did not seem impressed with her choice of decor but they refrained from changing anything. Klaus wanted her happy and Christmas made her happy therefore, he went along with any holiday related schemes she felt like doing. He only complained a tiny amount but Caroline knew that she would be able to get away with anything she wanted.

“It looks like Santa threw up in here.” Rebekah's voice could be heard and Caroline whirled around with a giant smile on her face. She rushed to her and the two girls were hugging tightly, sharing a laugh as they went. “I should have know that you would be behind this monstrosity.”

“You love it and no complaining. Remember I still have pictures from Christmas two years ago.” Rebekah narrowed her eyes but Caroline just held her smile. “Do you need a refresher? I think it had something to do with tequila, a ugly Santa sweater and...” With her vampire speed, Rebekah put her hand over Caroline's mouth.

“Blackmail. You've been spending too much time with my brother.” Rebekah snapped, however the glint in Rebekah's eye told Caroline that she really wasn't that upset about the development. If anything she seemed proud.

“Rebekah?”

The other blonde turned to see Elijah standing there. Rebekah's eyes grew wide and a smile spread across her face. She wrapped her arms around her brother and squeezed. Despite all the bullshit that seemed to follow the Mikaelson siblings around, they did love each other. Caroline knew that nothing would get in between this family and she only hoped that they would one day consider her more than Rebekah's friend and Klaus's.......whatever her title to him was.

“Is Freya with you?”

“No. She sent me a text stating that her plane landed but she was held up at customs. We are meeting here.” Caroline's brow creased. Freya was a powerful witch and she highly doubted that something was holding her up. Especially since all the Mikealson's had a habit of commanding a private jet to take them places. Flying commercial was just not in the question. “She should be here soon.”

“I hear the voice of a shrew. I suppose that means my little sister has arrived.” Klaus said as he came down the stairs. He was wearing his trademark Henley with a pair of nice jeans and his hair was damp, indicating that he just got out of the shower. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Rebekah slapped his chest lightly but wore an easy smile. Much like Elijah did, he took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Your room is up the stairs, third door to the right. Caroline took special care so I'm sure you will hate it.”

“I will not! Unlike you, she impeccable taste.”

“You never said that when we lived together.” Caroline chimed in.

“Yes. Well. My taste rubbed off on you of course.” Rebekah smiled and Caroline just rolled her eyes. She made her way towards the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine for her and Rebekah, the latter took the glass happily. “See, even your taste in wine has improved.”

“Still queen of the back handed compliments I see.”

“Well someone has to be!”

“And how was New Orleans when you left?” Elijah asked, breaking up the bonding moment between the two blonde vampires. Of course he would get down to business. With Klaus having left the throne months earlier, Elijah was the one running the city. When he left in order to help Klaus sort out his anger, and Freya off doing working on her mysterious project, that left the city Rebekah's hands. Of course both Klaus and Elijah were nervous about that prospect, and Caroline could not blame them.

“Fine. Nothing exciting but I suppose that has everything to do with the fact that a certain hybrid has been missing.” Rebekah stated, flashing a patronizing smile towards Klaus. “Heard you killed a very old vampire because you were in a snit. Big brother Elijah had to come and clean up your mess.”

Klaus stilled and fury pooled behind his eyes once more. The memory of why he killed that vampire flowing to the forefront of his mind. Rebekah being, well Rebekah, didn't notice the shift but Caroline did. She placed a hand on Klaus's forearm, reminding him that she was there and safe; but most importantly, that Rebekah had no knowledge of the abuse Caroline suffered at Damon's hands.

“And I'm happy to be here.” Elijah replied in a diplomatic tone. “Who did you leave in charge?”

“Marcel.” Rebekah replied in a smooth tone, bringing the wine glass up to her lips. Caroline's eyebrows creased in question. Rebekah was avoiding her gaze and that told her that she was going to be having a long conversation with Rebekah soon about what exactly happened when she returned to New Orleans. “He is going to keep me updated while I am here. Do you plan on returning with me Elijah?”

“Those are my current travel plans.” Before anyone could say anything else, the bell on the elevator rung and they could hear it making its way upward. They heard the doors slide open and Caroline called out that they were all in the kitchen. They could hear the tell-tale sound of Freya's boots hitting the wood floor. When she rounded the corner, the witch dropped her bag in the same place Rebekah's multiple suitcases still sat. Freya traveled the globe with nothing more than a duffle bag while Rebekah took five suitcases and three carry-ons for a few days with her family. Caroline chuckled but knew that she would be just as bad.

Rebekah jumped up to hug her sister, Elijah and Klaus following suit. Caroline handed her a glass of the bourbon both Klaus and Elijah had been drinking, seeing that the eldest Mikaelson sibling was more like her brothers than Rebekah. She took the tumblr happily and gave Caroline a grateful smile.

“How was your walk through the Amazon?” Klaus inquired.

“It was more like an extreme hike but it was fruitful.” It had baffled not only Caroline, but all of them, when Freya had told them that she was heading towards the Amazon after she cast the spell on the penthouse. She had been there for months and none of them knew why but Freya was always good at keeping her lips tightly shut. “That is actually what I want to discuss with you all.” She took a sip of her bourbon and looked at Caroline again. “I do hope you forgive me but I brought a guest.”

Everyone looked confused for several reasons. The vampires did not sense another presence exiting the elevator with Freya. Although, seeing that she was a witch, that was easily masked. Another was that the spell Freya had cast when both Klaus and Caroline moved in was that only someone of Mikaelson or Forbes blood could cross the threshold. For a split second, Caroline thought Freya had made a pit stop in Mystic Falls and brought her mother. However, the moment Freya snapped her fingers, the essence of a vampire filled her senses.

“ _Kol?!”_

The cocky vampire that Caroline had not seen since she fled Mystic Falls came around the corner. The other shocked Originals made their way towards their brother who had been dead for the last few years. They all touched him and held him close; leaving Caroline and Freya to stand on the sidelines. The vampire looked at the witch and saw a look of pure happiness on her face.

“I know it is hard to keep your hands off me but I would like to breathe. I haven't been doing it for the last few years so I would like to keep the ability.” Kol's voice sounded and the siblings stepped back; but were unwilling to keep their eyes off of them. Kol looked at Caroline and eyed her. “Well, I must say that it is good to see the affect you have on my brother in person and not just on the other side.”

“What?” Caroline asked.

“A certain Bonnie-lass and I would pop in from time to time.”

“Bonnie! You've seen her.”

“We've crossed paths.”

“What I want to know is how you're alive.” Klaus asked and his eyes were watery. Caroline moved to his side. “I watched as Jeremy Gilbert drove a white oak stake through your heart. I sat in that god-forsaken living room, staring at your body for days. How?” The last words came out in a hiss and Caroline kissed the back of his hand in comfort.

“Why brother, I didn't know you cared. That is a story for our dear Freya to tell.” They all turned to look at the witch who was pouring herself another bourbon. “Perhaps it is a story that is best suited seated?” Caroline perked up and nodded. She grabbed both a fresh bottle of wine and the bourbon, because she felt that it was going to be a conversation that needed alcohol, leading them into the living area. Once they were all seated, Kol spoke again, looking at Freya. “Well sister dear?”

“Kol.” Freya sighed and Caroline remembered that Kol died before Freya was discovered but it was clear that they built some sort of relationship; even if it meant Freya was already exasperated by him. “After we defeated Dahlia and I broke my sleeping curse, one of the hardest things to come to terms with was the fact that three of my brothers were dead. Aunt Dahlia told me stories of you all when I was a child, it was a means of torturing me but it gave me hope that maybe one day, I would know you all.” Freya took a sip of her drink.

“But how is he alive?” Caroline asked.

“Dahlia practiced dark magic and consequently, I learned good bit of it.” Freya sighed. “Necromancy, or death magic, is the darkest form of magic there is. Our mother played with it when she created vampires. I figured there had to be a way to raise the dead. So I found one.”

“Freya.” It was Elijah who was looking at her with worried eyes. “What deal did you make? The dead do not like to let go of one of their own without gaining something in return.” Caroline saw that Rebekah had tears flowing down her face and she reached over to squeeze her hand. Freya remained silent. “Freya. What did you promise?”

“Nothing that concerns any of you. It was my bargain and I will pay it.” Freya said, a cold look in her eye but Elijah did not move. “To do the spell they needed the blood of a living relative of the dead. Since you all are technically dead, I was the only one able to provide that.”

“If blood was all you needed, witch's would be raising the dead left and right.” Klaus added. “Necromancy is not just about blood, what did you do?”

“Magic, even the darkest magic, needs to keep the balance. In order to resurrect one life, I had to take another. I had to take a life of someone equal to the life I was bringing back. Since Kol had a murky, at best past, I found someone just has deplorable to kill.” Caroline's memory of Bonnie's voice came flooding back and it made Caroline very happy that she was not a witch. “So I killed a man and brought this one back. That was the deal. A life for a life.” Caroline could see that killing the man, even if he was a monster, was not easy for her.

“Tell them about Finn.” Kol said excitedly, quickly changing the subject. Of course he wouldn't care that his sister had to commit murder in order to raise him from the dead, but then only a month or so ago, Caroline slaughtered a man in an alleyway so she had no room to judge. “Come on!” Yet, Freya said nothing. “Fine. She was all prepared to sacrifice some poor boring sod but Finn refused to come back.”

“What?”

“I wanted to have us all together again. Henrik died a human and would have crossed over but not Finn and Kol. Finn, well, he wanted to stay on the other side.” The rest seemed baffled but unsurprised. Finn hated being a vampire and when they pulled the dagger out of his chest, he did everything he could to kill them. So, him refusing to come back didn't surprise them.

“Ah, well, much better to have him on the other side than here to bore us all.” Kol said happily but a quick look passed between them and only Caroline caught it. Something more was brewing between them but she could tell that neither one of them would share their secrets. She could sense that Kol had a plan and Caroline could only imagine what it was or why Freya seemed to agree to it.

*

The holidays pasted. Christmas came and went. New Years was rung in with flare, Caroline and Klaus kissing a midnight while the rest looked onward. It wasn't long before Kol made his departure with Freya in toe. They were questioned as to where they were headed but Freya remained silent and Kol said nothing more than some remark about all the lovely ladies he has missed out on.

That left Elijah and Rebekah who planned on making their way back to New Orleans within the next few days. Caroline and Rebekah rushed, making travel plans and plans to meet up once her internship was over. Neither Caroline or Klaus made any solid plans of heading to New Orleans once everything was said and done but it was a consideration. Part of Caroline wasn't ready to let the world go and just be in one place. If they went to New Orleans now, she knew that they would settle there and she just wasn't ready to let go of Klaus's promise to see the world.

It was a Thursday when Elijah's and Rebekah's suitcases sat near the elevator. Elijah sighed, sitting at the table with Klaus waiting on Rebekah who once again was making them all late. He had hoped to be at the very least, an hour early to the airport but if his sister continued taking her sweet time, they would just make it for their scheduled departure. The plan would wait for them of course but Elijah did not like to be an inconvenience to those controlling the plane.

“You know Rebekah, you should have expected this.” Klaus taunted. While he loved his siblings, he could not wait to be rid of them. He wanted the sanctuary of the penthouse alone with Caroline. He wanted her to feel comfortable walking around in nothing more than his Henley. He wanted to be able to take her on the dining room table with no fear of interruption. He want hear about her day and not to have her worry about their guests. “I would have told her that the plane left an hour ago.”

“I heard that!” Rebekah's screech echoed through the penthouse. Caroline take down the stairs and puts her hands on her forehead as though she was fighting off a migraine. Vampires could not get migraines but if they could, Rebekah would be one to cause them.

“She should be down soon.” She made her way over to Klaus and sat down on his lap, tossing her phone onto the table. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. He traced small circles on the lower part of her back in a comforting manner. While she adored Rebekah and shared a house with her for years, she forgot how exhausting she could be. “And then we will be free.” Klaus snorted and pulled Caroline closer.

It was silent for a moment until a faint buzzing noise could be heard coming from the table. Caroline pulled her head away from his shoulder to look at the phone; Klaus and Elijah doing the same. A name that she never thought she'd see flashed in bold letters.

Damon.

No one moved to answer it but all three of them looked at it, baffled as to why he would be calling. It had been years since either him or Elena tried to call her. In truth she would have thought that they would have deleted her number by now. Yet, watching Damon's name fade into voicemail still surprised her.

“What the fuck?” Caroline whispered as his name flashed again. It was clear that once he heard her voicemail pick up, he hung up and just redialed her. Once again the three of them just watched the phone ring and Damon's name faded away. Then a third time, the phone vibrated. Irritated Caroline picked up the phone and answered. “What Damon?!”

“You need to come home Caroline.”

“What? Seriously!? I haven't-”

“You need to come home. Now.” The hard tone in his voice made Caroline pause, as did Klaus and Elijah who could hear the call perfectly. She could tell that something was wrong. Damon never cared for Caroline and only dealt with her because she was friends with Elena. When she left and made it clear that she was not coming back, he stopped calling. He was the first to stop calling.

“What is it?”

“It's your mom. You need to come home.” Elijah pulled his phone out quickly, making travel arrangements. Klaus pulled Caroline to her feet and flashed up to their master bedroom, quickly packing what they would need. Caroline just stood there frozen on the spot, Damon's voice pounding into her ear; his works sinking deep into her soul. “The tumor is pressing down on her brain. The doctors said that she won't make it to the end of the week. She didn't want me to call, something about Hawaii and Scotland and remembering her there but fuck that. She needs you home.”

Tumor. Damon said it was a tumor. Caroline never hated the word so much.

“She is dying Caroline. You need to come home.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.......a lot happened in this chapter.   
> 1) Caroline hates her internship  
> 2) Klaus learned about Damon  
> 3) Kol is alive (and yes I always planned to bring him back)  
> 4) Liz is...well.....
> 
>  
> 
> Don't hate me to much.


End file.
